Skip to main content

Full text of "The Improvement Era"

See other formats 


e  improvement 


U.  S.  POSTAGE 

2c  PAID 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 
Permit  No.  325 


Here  Are  The 


NEW  LOW 


RATE 


which  will  make  it  possible  for  every   family  to  enjoy  the  advantages  of  this  clean,  modern  fuel  for  all 
needs  of  the  household  for  heating,  cooking,  refrigeration,  hot  water  supply, 

laundering  and  incineration. 

Freely  and  voluntarily  your  Natural  Gas  Company  has  again  reduced  Domestic, 
Commercial  and  Industrial  rates.  Two  years  ago,  With  the  introduction  of 
Natural  Gas  in  the  Salt  Lake  Valley  the  cost  of  gas  service  was  reduced 
by  more  than  half.  That  gave  you  the  most  economical  cooking,  water  heating 
and  refrigeration  service  available.  Now  with  the  new  low  rates,  these  same 
Natural  Gas  services,  together  with  Natural  Gas  house  heating,  will  bring 
an  actual  dollars  and  cents  SAVING  in  your  monthly  and  annual  cost  of  home 
maintenance.  The  same  service,  using  varied  fuels  would  be  much  more 
costly.  Following  are  the  new  low  (Domestic  and  Commercial  Natural  Gas 
rates  for  Salt  Lake  City,  Ogden,  Bountiful,  Centerville,  Farmington,  Layton, 
Kaysville,  Clearfield,  Murray,  Sandy,  Midvale,  Garfield,  Magna,  Morgan  and  Tooele. 


First  400  cubic   feet .90 

Next  600  cubic  feet. .15  per  100  cubic  feet 

Next  1,000  cubic  feet- .112  pert  ioo  cubic  feet 

Next  1,000  cubic  feet - 075  per  100  cubic  feet 

Next  2,000  cubic  feet - .00  per  100  cubic  feet 

Next  15,000   cubic  feet. 0425  per  IOO  cubic   feet 

Next  30,000  cubic  feet 035  per  100  cubic  feet 

All    Over  50,000  cubic   feet - .03  per  100   cubic  feet 

Minimum   Bill..... .90 


Rent  a  fully  automatic  Natural  Gas  Home  Heating  Unit.  $5  installs 

the  unit  in  your  present  furnace.  Then  for  a  rental  of  only  $2.10  per  month 

you  may  enjoy  the  full  advantages  of   clean,   automatic   heat.     This   attractive 

rental    plan    together    wTith    the    NEW    LCW  Natural  Gas   rates  may  mean  a  lifetime 

of  comfort  and  saving  to  you  if   you   investigate.     We  welcome  the  opportunity  to  submit  an 

estimate  of  what  savings  the  new  low  rates  will   bring  to  your   home.     No  obligation  on   your  part. 

UTAH  GAS  &COKC  CO.-OGDEN  GAS  CO. 

WASATCH  GAS  CO. 

serving  twenty-one  Utah  towns  with  prompt  and  courteous  public  service 


*m    m»   >m 


■   ^    ■ 


■     «P»     ■ 


■jAfcudfe. 


■      m 


-*-    —    -•-    -*-    - 


ffhe  improvement 


Vol.  35  No.  1 


FORECAST 


(^HRISTMAS  is  the  greatest 
season  of  the  whole  year — a 
time  when  people  of  all  nations 
and  ages  join  in  gladness  and  fes- 
tivity. The  Era  will  enter  into 
the  spirit  of  the  occasion  with 
story,  poem  and  picture;  "Moved 
— Left  No  Address,"  by  Bryce 
W.  Anderson,  will  delight  Era 
readers  with  the  simplicity  of  its 
human  appeal;  "The  Christmas 
Tree"  likewise  will  touch  a  cor- 
ner of  all  hearts,  and  make  them 
glad.  These  stories  are  full  of  the 
crisp  interest  of  the  Yule-tide,  and 
carry  tender  messages  in  their  lines. 

pDDIES  OF  LIFE,"  an  article 
by  former  President  Wm.  A. 
Hyde,  of  Pocatello  Stake,  bears  a 
Christmas  thought,  if  loving  our 
neighbors  as  ourselves  is  Christ- 
masy.  And  surely  it  is,  for  it  was 
He  whose  birthday  we  celebrate  at 
Christmas  who  bade  us  love  one 
another.  In  this  day  of  grim  un- 
employment, this  article  is  of  un- 
usual interest,  told,  as  it  is,  with 
quiet  beauty  and  in  a  convincing 
manner. 

TXTITH  increasing  interest  are 
readers  of  the  Era  watching 
for  the  articles  in  the  series  "Great- 
ness in  Men,"  appearing  regularly 
under  the  signature  of  Bryant  S. 
Hinckley.  The  third  one,  pre- 
senting President  Charles  W.  Nib- 
ley,  will  contain  much  of  the 
humor  and  the  philosophy  which 
has  made  President  Nibley  the  be- 
loved leader  he  is  today. 


"pOR  those  who  wish  to  put  into 
the  Christmas  program  of  their 
wards  a  new  touch,  the  Era  is 
happy  to  publish  a  pageant  of  the 
season  "Joy  to  the  World."  Sim- 
ple it  is. in  setting  and  costuming; 
complete  in  directions  for  staging 
and  production,  and  lovely  in 
characterization  and  dialogue 
which  will  make  it  of  valued  and 
treasured  memory  in  wards  where 
it  is  used. 


ERA: 


NOVEMBER,   1931 


Melvin  J.  Ballard 
Business  Manager 

O.  B. 


Clarissa  A.  Beesley 
Associate  Business  Manager 

.Peterson,   Ass't.  Business  Manager 

George    Q.    Morris 
Rachel  Grant  Taylor 
Chairmen  Era  and  Publicity- 


Organ  of  the  Priesthood  Quorums,  the  Mutual  Improvement 

Associations  and  the  Department  of  Education 

Copyright,    1930,    by   the   Young   Men's   Mutual   Improvement   Association 
Corporation  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 


2 
3 
5 
9 
11 
13 


CONTENTS 

Editorials: 

Hugh  J.  Cannon. _    Bryant  S.  Hinckley 

His  Last  Editorial Hugh  J.   Cannon 

Greatness  in  Men President  Anthony  W.  Ivins,  Bryant  S.  Hinckley 

Dr.  Joseph  F.  Merrill Dr.  Richard  R.  Lyman 

The  General  Conference  in  Review John  D  Giles 

Adolf  Hitler — The  Man  and  His  Ideas Wendell  C.  Irvine 

A  Habit  Worth  Acquiring G.   Ott  Romney    15 

Facing   Life — X Dr.   Adam    S.    Bennion    16 

Boy  Scouts  in  Camp Weston  N.  Nordgren    19 

Man   or   Machine-Made paul   J.    Weaver   22 

Supporting  Cast    (A    Story)  ____„ Alberta   Huish   Christensen    24 

A  Daughter  of  Martha    (Serial  Story) Ivy  Williams  Stone   26 

Glancing  Through    (Brief  Summaries  of  Magazine  Articles)    

Elsie  Talmage  Brandley   3  2 

Laying  the  Foundation  for  Good  Manners Adah  R.  Naylor   34 

Beauty  in  the  Home — Proportion . Lutie  H.  Fryer   3  6 

Poetry    39 

Spinsterhood    _Bee   Forsyth 

Autumn  Bertha  Woodland 

Two  Questions  N Alberta  H.  Christensen 

Glad  Days  of  Fall Linnie  Fisher  Robinson 

November  Gladys  Hendricksen 

I  Have  Seen  God Christie  Lund 

Indian   Summer  Helen  Kimball  Orgill 

Phases  Linda  S.  Fletcher 

Candles  Grace  Ingles  Frost 

Church  Music  Committee  40 

Priesthood  Quorums  4 1 

Mutual     Messages    _ „ 4 3 

Executive    Department    43 

Community    Activity    Department 45 

Adult   Department   1- 46 

Gleaner  Girls'   Department 47 

Junior  Girls'  Department  . 48 

Beehive   Girls'   Department   : ■ 49 


Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  as  second-class  matter. 
Acceptance  for  mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided  for  in  section  1 103, 
Act  of  October,  1917,  authorized  July  2,  1918. 

Manuscripts  submitted  without  the  statement,  "At  usual  rates,"  are  con- 
sidered free  contributions.  Photographs,  unless  their  return  is  especially 
requested,  will  be  destroyed. 

Published  monthly  at  Salt  Lake  City  by  the  M.  I.  A.  General  Boards; 
$2  per  annum.     Address:      Room  406  Church  Office  Building. 


IE    ID 

1 

TAR 

II 

A  L 

Harrison  R.   Merrill 

r 

Elsie   Talmage  Brandley 

Heber  J.  Grant,  Editor 

Hugh  J.  Cannon 


A  T  the  zenith  of  his  splendid  life  the  managing 
/~w  editor  of  this  magazine  passed  away  at  an 
early  hour  on  the  morning  of  October  6th 
as  the  result  of  a  serious  operation  for  a  malady 
from  which  he  had  suffered  at  intervals  for  several 
years.  Thus  was  ended  a  brilliant  career  crowned 
with  enduring  achievements. 

The  shock  is  so  fresh  in  our  minds  that  we  can 
hardly  reconcile  ourselves  to  his  going;  but  the  cour- 
ageous and  hopeful  view  which  he  always  took  in 


passing  through  experiences  which  wring  the  heart 
strings,  his  sublime  faith  and  his  calm  outlook  upon 
eternity  has  a  sustaining  quality  that  is  both  solacing 
and  comforting  to  us  now. 

He  was  born  sixty-one  years  ago  January  19th  of 
this  year  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  the  son  of  George 
Q.  and  Sarah  Jenne  Cannon.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  a  private  school  on  the  old  Cannon 
farm  near  the  Jordan  River.  From  there  he  went 
to  the  University  of  Utah. 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November?,  1931 


At  the  age  of  twenty  he  was  called  on  his  first 
mission  to  Germany  and  had  labored  there  a  year 
and  a  half  when  his  brother  David,  also  a  missionary, 
contracted  a  cold  and,  through  exposure,  died  from 
it  and  Hugh  J.  brought  his  remains  home. 

On  his  return  he  engaged  for  a  short  time  in  the 
mining  business  in  Nevada.  He  subsequently  became 
interested  in  the  publishing  business  in  Salt  Lake 
City  in  connection  with  the  interests  of  his  father 
and  for  some  time  was  manager  of  the  George  Q. 
Cannon  &>  Sons  Company,  one  of  the  pioneer  pub- 
lishing houses  of  Utah. 

He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Deseret  Sunday 
School  Union  Board  from  December  29,  1896,  until 
April  3,   1923. 

In  1901  he  again  went  on  a  mission  to  Germany 
and  was  presiding  over  that  mission  at  the  time 
he  was  made  President  of  the  Liberty  stake  February 
26,  1904.  This  mission  covered  a  period  of  three 
and  one-half  years. 

In  1920,  while  he  was  presiding  over  the  Liberty 
stake,  he  was  called  by  the  First  Presidency  to  ac- 
company [Elder  David  O.  McKay  on  a  tour  of  the 
world,  visiting  all  the  missions  of  the  Church  except 
those  in  the  United  States.  This  historic  journey 
required  more  than  a  year's  time. 

In  1925  he  was  again  called  to  preside  over  the 
Swiss  and  German  mission  and  was  holding  that 
position  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  as  managing 
editor  of  this  magazine.  (Soon  thereafter  he  was 
made  a  member  of  the  General  Board  of  Young 
Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Associations  and  was 
serving  in  that  position  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Thus  'he  has  been  on  three  missions  to  Germany 
covering  a  period  of  seven  and  one-half  years  and 
one  year  touring  the  world,  making  eight  and  one- 
half  years  in  missionary  work  abroad,  twenty  years 
as  President  of  the  Liberty  stake  of  Zion,  twenty- 
seven  years  a  member  of  Deseret  Sunday  School 
Union  Board,  three  and  one-half  years  as  managing 
editor  of  the  Era  and  a  member  of  the  General 
Board  of  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Asso- 
ciations. 

From  his  boyhood  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
whether  at  home  or  abroad,  he  has  been  active  in 
the  service  of  the  Church  and  has  brought  to  it  an 
allegiance  and  a  devotion  which  has  been  both  an 
encouragement  and  an  inspiration  to  those  who  have 
known  him.  In  all  his  administrations  he  has  dis- 
played a  leadership  marked  by  wisdom,  tolerance 
and  a  sympathetic  understanding  of  the  people  and 
of  their  problems,  a  leadership  which  has  secured 
a  cheerful  and  spontaneous  following,  one  that  has 
inspired  faith  and  fine  endeavor. 

In  his  passing  the  Church  has  lost  a  stalwart 
defender,  a  talented  and  effective  exponent.  To  those 
who  know  him  best  and  who  enjoyed  his  genial 
friendship  the  world  will  seem  lonesome. 

The  writer  has  stood  by  his  side  when  the  portals 
of  the  tomb  closed  over  the  mortal  remains  of  those 
he  loved;  his  head  bowed,  his  heart  crushed  but  not 
a  murmur  fell  from  his  lips — a  test  of  the  sublime 
and  sustaining  faith  which  he  inherited  from  his 
illustrious  sire  and  which  he  cultivated  with  diligent 
care. 

In  a  most  delightful  and  intimate  conversation 
held  a  week  ago,  in  fact  the  last  time  the  writer  saw 
him  alive,  he  paid  a  tribute  of  love  and  esteem  to 


Sarah  Richards  Cannon,  his  sorrowing  widow  upon 
whom  this  blow  falls  hardest,  which  will  shine 
forever  in  our  memory.  He  spoke  of  the  encourage- 
ment she  had  brought  to  him,  the  support  she  had 
given  him,  of  the  strength  and  sweetness  and  nobility 
of  her  character.  She  is  indeed  a  high-minded, 
generous,  devoted  wife  and  mother  who  will  bear 
the  heavy  burden  which  has  come  to  ,hcr  with  the 
same  quiet  resignation  and  courage  which  her  de- 
parted husband  has  always  displayed. 

Peace  to  his  memory.  His  works  will  live  after 
him.  His  children,  his  family,  his  friends  can  always 
repair  with  pride  to  the  record  of  his  unselfish  and 
noble  life. 

In  a  most  intimate  friendship  covering  a  period 
of  thirty  years  the  writer  never  heard  him  say  an 
ungenerous  word  or  ,speak  a  syllable  that  would  not 
endure  the  scrutiny  of  time. 

He  was  a  noble  man  of  generous  and  lofty  im- 
pulses, with  a  chivalrous  heart,  a  romantic  imagina- 
tion, a  fixed  and  settled  faith  in  God  and  in  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  the  personification  of  that 
cherished  and  fundamental  virtue,  loyalty.  True  to 
his  friends,  loyal  to  his  leaders,  devoted  to  his  God, 
peace  loving  and  gentle  but  without  fear,  kind  but 
superbly  courageous,  he  has  left  a  sweet  and  shining 
memory.  He  made  the  world  better,  made  men  and 
women  feel  a  little  more  secure,  a  little  stronger, 
a  little  nobler.  He  died  as  he  lived — without  com- 
plaint and  unafraid. — Bryant  S.  Hinckley,  President 
of  Liberty  Stake. 

His  Last  Editorial 

IN  preparation  for  the  ^November  issue  of  the 
-*  Improvement  Era,  Hugh  J.  Cannon  had  written 
several  editorials.  Some  were  incomplete,  but  one 
was  finished  and  in  print  at  the  time  of  his  Heath. 
We  feel  that  readers  of  the  Era  should  have  the  benefit 
of  this  last  message: 

Do  Something 

A  S  one  means  of  relieving  the  tense  unemployment 

-*1  situation,  President  Hoover  suggests  that  stu- 
dents who  have  contemplated  giving  up  school,  be- 
cause of  graduation  or  for  any  other  reason,  continue 
their  educational  work  for  the  time  being.  By  doing 
so  they  will  not  add  to  the  number  for  whom  jobs 
should  be  provided. 

Utah  and  neighboring  states  offer  excellent  oppor- 
tunities for  education  through  extension  and  corre- 
spondence courses,  as  well  as  through  resident  work. 
It  is  not  easy  for  a  man  without  income,  especially 
if  others  are  dependent  upon  him,  to  settle  down  to 
a  regular  course  of  study;  but  to  those  who  can  thus 
utilize  a  period  of  enforced  idleness,  thereby  making 
themselves  more  efficient,  this  distressing  time  would 
prove  a  real  blessing. 

Thousands  of  Latter-day  Saints  live  within  easy 
reach  of  the  temples.  Inside  the  sacred  walls  of  these 
buildings,  doing  for  others  that  which  they  cannot  do 
for  themselves,  unemployed  people  will  find  it  much 
easier  to  subdue  the  feelings  of  bitterness  or  despair 
which  are  a  natural  result  of  their  condition;  and  by 
doing  this  vicarious  work  for  others,  they  will  have 
earned  assistance  for  themselves.- — H.  J.  C. 


'■■■  .■i-'.:-----":,,  "     ■■-■"■:■• 


:"..<•-■ 


■•   ,       -•. 


}r  resident  Jieber ^/.  Cjrant 


who  attains  the  seventy- ft 
anniversary   of  his  birth  on 
(j\ovember  22,   iQ^i- 

<lte  became  Irreswent  of  the 
C/kurcn  of  ^fesus  Unrist  of 
batter-oaif  Saints 
UXovember  23,   igio. 


Greatness   in  Men 


resident 


Anthony  W.  Ivins 


"No  sounder  piece  of   *    *    *    manhood 

was  put  together  in  this  century  of  time." 

— Thomas  Carlyle.* 

ANTHONY 
W.  IVINS  is 

one  of  the 
last  of  that  noble 
company  of  men 
who  will  go  down  in 
history  as  the  great 
pioneers  of  the 
"Mormon"  people. 
The  line  is  growing 
thin  and  gray — but 
few  remain.  He  was 
young  when  most  of 
those  men  were  in 
their  prime,  but  he 
was  old  enough  to 
understand  and  share 
the  dangers  and  vi- 
cissitudes through 
which  they  passed, 
and  he  knows  better 
than  any  other  living 
man  their  story  and 
has  described  some  of 
their  experiences  with 
the  beauty  and  grace 
of  an  artist.  Refer- 
ring to  the  pioneer 
trails  he  says: 

"The  romance  and 
tragedy  of  those  old 
trails,    now    so    well 
known    to    us,    will 
never   be   written   or 
told.      It   cannot   be 
because  the  men  and 
women     who     made 
unrecorded       history 
along    those    devious 
ways  have  long  since  gone  to  tread 
the  paths  of  another  and  a  better 
world  leaving  little  of  written  his- 
tory behind  them."f 

*Essay  Sir  Walter  Scott. 
fSeptember  Era. 


He  appears 
statuesque  on  a 
fine    horse. 


Those  men  of  the  plains  and 
the  mountains  were  indeed  a  pic- 
turesque company;  men  of  fine  ex- 
traction and  heroic  mold,  lovers  of 
nature  and  of  nature's  God,  rugged 
but  never  crude.     Their  hard  sur- 


By 

BRYANT  S.  HJNCKLEY 

President  of  Liberty  Stake 


roundings  never  made  them  harsh 
or  cruel.  Among  them  all  few 
indeed  fit  so  admirably  into  the 
varied  situations  incident  to  pio- 
neering as  does  Anthony  W.  Ivins. 

I-JE  is  a  man  of  peace  and  of  quiet 
ways,  nevertheless  many  of  his 
experiences  are  as 
thrilling  and  romantic 
as  any  found  in  the 
tales  of  the  novelist 
and  some  of  them  are 
pathetic  and  tragic. 
He  loves  all  nature, 
bleak  places  and  har- 
dy companions.  He 
is  happy  with  the 
frontiersman  and  the 
frontiersman  is  hap- 
py with  him.  When- 
ever he  goes  he  has 
shown  a  marvelous 
power  of  adaptation. 
In  Old  Mexico  he 
was  equally  at  home 
with  the  humble 
peon  and  the  proud 
President  of  the  Re- 
public. He  appears  to 
advantage  among  ti- 
tled nobility  and 
among  men  of  liberal 
learning.  He  unites 
the  finest  sensibilities 
with  the  greatest 
physical  courage  and 
the  strongest  will.  He  combines 
the  instincts  and  accomplishments 
of  good  breeding  with  the  broad- 
est sympathies  and  affiliations.  In 
him  are  found  the  qualities  of  the 
man  of  action   and   those  of   the 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


thinker  and  the  writer.     He  is  in- 
deed a  many-sided,  versatile  man 
with  remarkably  wide  and  varied 
interests.     His  interests  are  as  keen 
in  economics  as  in  natural  history, 
in   baseball    as    in 
statecraft,    in    po- 
etry as  in  finance. 
He    knows    cattle 
and    loves    horses. 
He  has  a  fascina- 
tion    for     mining 
and  a  patriotic  rev- 
erence for  the  flag 
and  the  Constitu- 
tion  for  which  it 
stands.     He  is  in- 
deed a  true  Ameri- 
can. If  destiny  had 
led    him   into    the 
conflict  of  war  he 
would    no    doubt 
have    played    that 
game  with  a  gal- 
lantry    and     skill 
which  would  have 
made  him  forever 
renowned.      There    is    something 
chivalrous   and   statuesque    in    his 
very  appearance  on  a  fine  horse. 

His  loyalty  to  his  neighbors  and 
to  his  friends,  his  fine  sense  of 
justice,  his  downright  honesty,  his 
love  for  the  truth,  coupled  with 
his  great  ability,  has  secured  to 
him  the  ev- 
erlasting al- 
legiance of 
those  who 
know    him. 

(^)  n     the 

W  16th  of 
September 
last  he  pass- 
ed the  sev- 
enty -  ninth 
mile  stone 
of  his  life 
with  the 
years  resting 
lightly  up- 
on his  sea- 
soned shoul- 
ders. His 
athletic 
body  has  re- 
sisted won- 
derfully the  assault  of  time.  His 
hair  is  white  and  his  head  slightly 
bowed  when  he  walks.  Time  has 
mellowed  his  fine  features  but  his 
sinewy  limbs  are  still  his  willing 
servants. 

With  his  warm  sympathies  de- 
veloped, his  tenacious  memory  un- 
impaired,   his    poetic    imagination 


alert,  his  flawless  judgment  ma- 
tured, he  stands  on  the  threshold 
of  his  eightieth  year  a  shining  ex- 
ample of  a  many-sided,  self-made, 
successful   man,   one   of   the  most 


President  and  Mrs.  Ivins 

highly  esteemed  and  universally 
beloved  citizens  of  the  common- 
wealth. 

From  the  summit  of  his  years  he 
can  look  over  a  most  colorful  and 
uncommon  career,  a  career  in  no 


In  any  activity,  President  Ivins 
played  a  prominent  part,  and  played 
it  successfully. 

way  devoid  of  irksome  toil  or 
perilous  experiences,  one  in  which 
there  is  much  of  monotony  and 
commonplace,  but  in  its  larger  as- 
pects a  most  romantic  and  inspir- 
ing career. 


'"PHE  simple  story  of  his  life  from 
his    birth    place    on    Toms 
River,   New  Jersey,    to  his   home 
on  the  hill  in  Salt  Lake  City  would 
be  an  interesting   one.      He  came 
to  Utah  as  a  child, 
remained    in    Salt 
Lake     City     until 
his      ninth      year, 
moved     with     his 
parents   to   St. 
George   where   for 
thirty-four      years 
he  made  his  home. 
They  were  among 
its  original  settlers. 
As  a  young  man 
he  did  missionary 
work    among    the 
Indians  and  in  Old 
Mexico,   where  he 
moved     in     1895 
and      for      twelve 
years     was    Presi- 
dent of  the  Juarez 
stake  of  Zion.    In 
1907   he   was   or- 
dained  an  apostle   and  moved   to 
Salt  Lake  City  and  has  since  re- 
sided there. 

St.  George,  the  home  of  his 
youth  and  earlier  manhood,  is  a 
small  town  far  removed  from  the 
centers  of  population  and  com- 
merce but  a  good  place  for  a  young 

man  to 
grow  up. 
H  i  s  sur- 
roundings 
were  hard 
but    whole- 

s  o  m  e. 
Things  did 
not  come 
easy,  great 
fortunes 
were  not 
made  by 
speculative 
methods. To 
succeed  re- 
quired the 
develop- 
ment of 
those  basic 
virtues 
which  un- 
derlie a  1  1 
sound  living.  The  people  in  a 
large  measure  were  forced  to  rely 
upon  their  own  resourcefulness  and 
ingenuity,  not  only  for  their  com- 
mon sustenance  but  for  their  edu- 
cation and  recreation.  Whether  it 
was  baseball,  dramatics,  debating, 
hunting,  farming,  stock  raising  or 
any  other  activity  common  in  that 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


country,  President  Ivins  played  a 
prominent  part — played  it  well 
and  successfully. 


W.    IVINS    had 


A  NTHONY 
^  little 

schooling 
in  the  com- 
mon   accep- 
tation      o  f 
that   term 
and  still  he 
is  one  of  the 
best  educat- 
ed   men    of 
his     time.     I 
His  superior     I 
station     I 
among  men 
is  due,  in  a     1 
large    meas- 
ure,   to    his 
intellectual 
endow- 
ments. 
"There  is  a 
sanity,  a 
fineness,      a 

penetration,  a  reach  about  his 
mind"  which  at  once  places  him 
in  the  class  of  the  intellectually 
superior.  One  commentator  says: 
"He  is  able,  out  of  any  par- 
ticular problem  or  situation,  to  get 
a  solution  which  best  meets  the 
minds  of  the  masses."  That  means 
not  only  a  comprehension  of  the 
problems  but  a  deep  and  sympa- 
thetic understanding  of  the  people. 
This  combination  is  the  essence  of 
real  leadership. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the 
training  symbolized  by  the  three 
R's  is  but  a  ismall  part  of  educa- 
tion. Education  in  its  best  in- 
terpretation means  something 
higher  and  finer  than  comes  from 
any  knowledge  of  conjugations  or 
calculus.  The  ultimate  purpose  of 
education,  of  individual  endeavor, 
of  all  social  service,  is  man's 
growth  in  character.  The  supreme 
work  of  the  world  manifests  itself 
in  character  development. 

QHARACTER  is  not  the  pro- 
duct of  logic,  of  research,  or  ex- 
perimentation— but  faith  in  great 
ideals  and  a  steadfast  and  sacri- 
ficial devotion  to  those  ideals.  This 
is  only  possible  to  men  of  resolute 
convictions.  The  heart  and  the 
will  must  cooperate  in  the  creation 
of  character. 

To  keep  sweet  in  the  face  of  dis- 
appointment, no  matter  how  bit- 
ter, to  maintain  courage  in  the  face 


of  defeat,  to  be  true  to  one's  ideals, 
to  stand  for  the  right,  to  make 
the  most  of  one's  endowments,  to 
live  on  the  highest  levels,  to  meet 
the  varied  situations  of  life  square- 


He  is  a  man  of  wide  and  varied 
interests. 


President   Ivins   and   his   grandsons. 

ly  and  wisely  is  the  ultimate 
sought  in  education,  and  it  does 
not  come  from  schools  nor  school 
houses  altogether. 

He  has  been  an  industrious  and 
careful  reader — he  has  a  tenacious 
memory.  He  has  been  forced  to 
do  his  own  thinking,  to  arrive  at 
his   own    conclusions.      He   has    a 


mind  that  can  deal  with  large 
problems,  a  mind  luminous,  ab- 
sorbent and  strong  by  nature, 
trained  and  cultivated  with  long 
and  laborious  care.     His  schooling 

was  limited 
but  it  was 
enough.  ;His 
powers  were 

developed 
and  perfect- 
ed. '"Great 
men  come 
from  the 
wilderness 
and  not 
from  col- 
leges." He  is 
an  educated 
man. 

f-JIS  dis- 
courses 
and  writ- 
ings will 
form  a  part 
of  the  per- 
manent lit- 
erature of  the  Church.  For  depth 
and  clearness  of  thought,  for 
soundness  of  doctrine,  for  beauty 
and  simplicity  of  diction,  for  mag- 
nanimity and  tolerance,  for  the 
sublime  and  inspiring  faith  which 
permeates  them,  his  sermons  are 
scarcely  matched  in  the  Church. 

In  his  twenty-sixth  year  he  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Snow,  a  daughter 
of  the  late  Erastus  Snow — a  states- 
man and  colonizer  second  only  to 
Brigham  Young,  among  the  first 
of  the  "Mormon"  pioneers  to  en- 
ter this  valley  and  among  the  last 
to  be  forgotten  for  the  service 
which  he  gave  to  this  people.  That 
great  apostle  was  his  companion 
and  teacher.  If  Mark  Hopkins 
on  one  end  of  a  log  and  James  A. 
Garfield  on  the  other  made  a  uni- 
versity, Erastus  Snow  on  one  side 
of  a  camp  fire  'and  a  young  man 
his  equal  on  the  other  side  made 
a  noble  institution.  That  is  where 
Anthony  W.  Ivins  went  to  col- 
lege. 

'"PHERE  is  no  single  influence 
which  has  contributed  more  to 
Anthony  W.  Ivins'  success  than 
the  companionship  and  inspiration 
of  this  modest  little  woman  who 
has  walked  by  his  side  all  these 
years.  She  has  known  his  worth 
and  kept  up  his  faith  in  himself 
and  his  destiny.  She  is  a  woman 
of  quiet  wisdom  and  unusual  ex- 
ecutive capacity,  and  has  managed, 


8 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


with  ability,  his  household  during 
his  repeated  absences  from  home. 
They  met  when  he  was  nine 
years  old  and  on  his  first  trip  to 
St.  George.  They  were  camped 
at  Chicken  Creek  Lake  when  this 
romantic  love  affair,  which  has 
lasted  for  seventy  years,  began. 
Here  is  a  dainty  and  graphic  ac- 
count of  it  from  his  own  gifted 
pen: 

"As  I  stood  by  the  wagon  tongue  con- 
versing with  the  man,  a  little  girl  walked 
up  on  the  opposite  of  the  tongue  and 
from  under  a  blue  sun-bonnet  looked  at 
me,  and  I  looked  at  her.  I  was  thrilled 
with  her  beautiful  brown  eyes  and  could 
not  forget  them.  *  *  *  I  continued  to 
see  her  until  we  had  grown  to  man  and 
womanhood  when  she  became  my  wife. 
She  is  with  me  still,  the  same  sweet  girl 
that  she  was  at  Chicken  Creek.  She  has 
shared  with  me  the  dangers,  trials  and 
privations  of  pioneer  life.  No  other  has, 
or  even  can  take  her  place."* 

They  have  eight  living  children, 
one  deceased,  all  of  whom  are  of 
the  same  modest,  intelligent,  self- 
reliant  type  as  their  distinguished 
parents. 

gPEAKING  of  the  master  influ- 
ences of  his  life — the  deep  and 
dominant  influence  of  his  life,  the 
influence  which  has  given  direction 
to  all  his  splendid  powers  and  in- 
spired him  to  fine  endeavor,  is  his 
reverent  and  passionate  love  for  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world,  his  pro- 
found understanding  of  His  life 
and  mission.  This  has  developed 
in  his  soul  a  universal  love  for 
mankind,  a  tender  compassion  for 
the  poor  and  the  unfortunate  and 
made  him  a  champion  of  the  op- 
pressed. 

Anthony  W.  Ivins  has  always 
stood  as  a  fearless  tribune  of  the 
common  people — he  understands 
them  and  loves  them.  This  is  one 
of  the  sources  of  his  great  influ- 
ence. He  is  a  practical  man,  a  man 
of  affairs,  a  man  of  the  rarest  com- 
mon sense  and  there  is  running 
down  through  the  center  of  his  life 
this  deep,  silent  current  of  right- 
eousness. He  never  speaks  upon 
any  great  Gospel  theme  without 
impressing  those  who  listen  with 
the  fact  that  he  has  the  vision  and 
seership  of  a  major  prophet. 

While  his  feet  are  firmly  planted 
upon  the  solid  earth  he  is  an  ideal- 
ist. Never  offensive  in  expressing 
his  opinions,  still  all  men  know 
where  he  stands  and  admire  him 
for  his  stand.  He  is  a  deeply  re- 
ligious man.    He  is  first  counselor, 

*  September  Era. 


and  a  little  more  than  first  cousin, 
to  the  President  of  the  Church,  and 
no  one  could  be  prouder  of  a  coun- 
selor and  a  cousin  than  is  his  file 
leader.  We  doubt  if  any  President 
ever  had  a  wiser  counselor.  The 
contrast  between  these  cousins  in 
some  respects  is  sharp  and  pro- 
nounced, but  their  lives  comple- 
ment each  other  with  remarkable 
completeness. 

\\/"E  come  now  to  some  funda- 
mental questions:  What  has 
given  Anthony  W.  Ivins  such  a 
commanding  place  among  men? 
What  is  the  explanation  of  his 
great  influence?  Put  these  pertinent 
questions  to  his  most  ardent  ad- 
mirers or  to  his  most  intimate 
friends  and  they  hesitate — they 
cannot  answer  you  because  it  is  not 
any  specific  characteristic,  it  is  not 
the  result  of  any  single  gift. 

Still  seeking  an  answer  to  these 
questions  you  ask:   Is  it  the  sim- 
plicity of  his  life?     Is  it  his  intel- 
lectual   superiority?        Is     it    the 
soundness       o  f 
his     judgment? 
H  i  s      steadfast     J 
loyalty?       The    1 
strength      and     ™ 
purity     of     his 
character?      His 
reverence  for  his 

God  and  for  his  country?  You 
reply  without  hesitation  and  with 
decision,  yes — all  of  these  in  a 
most  happy  and  harmonious 
union. 

It  is  not  any  extraordinary  and 
easily  discoverable  characteristic 
that  has  distinguished  him;  but 
rather  the  fine  poise  and  balance 
of  all  his  faculties.  His  mental, 
moral  and  physical  equation  is  ad- 
mirable. He  never  explodes,  he 
never  leaps  before  he  looks;  still  he 
is  a  man  of  action.  There  is  noth- 
ing rough  nor  dictatorial  about 
him.  He  has  always  led  but  he 
never  stepped  in  front  of  any  other 
man.  He  is  quiet,  modest  and  un- 
assuming but  no  one  ever  dom- 
inated him  or  did  his  thinking  for 
him.  Back  of  his  humility,  be- 
neath his  modesty  is  a  lofty  self- 
respect.  The  fibre  of  his  soul  is 
tender,  the  timber  of  his  will  is 
strong.  The  sources  of  his  power 
lie  in  the  depths  of  his  shining 
soul. 

"pOR  the  better  part  of  fifty  years 
he  lived  on  the  borders  of  civ- 
(Continued  on  page  3  9) 


Anthony  W.  Ivins — one  of  a  com- 
pany   of    noble    men    known    as 
"The  Pioneers" 


sr/» 


Or.  J  05^  r*  •  NYerrill 

of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 

By  DR.  RICHARD  R.  LYMAN 


CLASSMATES  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  forty 
years  ago  this  very  fall,  and 
later  having  our  offices  side  by 
side  in  the  University  of  Utah 
for  twenty-six  years,  few  men 
have  been  more  intimately  asso- 
ciated during  what  is  now  rather 
a  long  lifetime  than  have  Joseph 
Francis  Merrill  and  the  writer  of 
this  sketch. 

As  Superintendent  of  the  Mu- 
tual Improvement  Associations  in 
the  former  Salt  Lake  Stake,  I  sug- 
gested Joseph  F.  Merrill  as  my 
first   assistant. 


"Who  is  the  man?  Where  is 
he?"  asked  President  Angus  M. 
Cannon. 

"He  is  a  son  of  Marriner  W. 
Merrill  of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  and  a  teacher  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Utah;  at  present  he  is 
at  Johns  Hopkins  University." 

"How  long  has  he  been  away 
from  home?"  asked  President  Can- 
non. 

"Two  years." 

"Are  you  sure  that  he  is  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
the  Gospel?" 

'Yes,  President  Cannon,  I  know 


the  man.  A  testimony  of  the  Gos- 
pel is  in  his  heart  and  soul.  I 
may  say  that  I  speak  his  language, 
and  he  speaks  mine;  that  is,  we 
understand  each  other.  We  are 
kindred  spirits." 

TN  youth,  while  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Joseph  F.  Merrill  was  associated 
with  great  investigators  who  were 
building  upon  the  discoveries  of 
Pasteur,  the  man  who  in  1880 
made  to  human  welfare  perhaps 
the  greatest  of  scientific  contribu- 
tions. Because  of  the  accuracy 
and     thoroughness    of    his    work, 


10 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


Joseph  F.  Merrill  was  one  of  the 
students  from  the  department  of 
chemistry  to  aid  in  this  experimen- 
tal research. 

Outstanding  in  his  character  is 
persistence.  When  he  attacks  a 
problem,  for  him  no  road  is  too 
long,  no  combination  of  circum- 
stances too  difficult. 

Unusual  good  fortune  came  for 
Joseph  F.  Merrill  and  for  the 
Church  when  he  went  into  the 
Presidency  of  the  Granite  Stake, 
for  it  was  then  that  he  had  the 
opportunity  and  the  vision  to  be- 
gin the  work  of  the  present  sem- 
inary system,  now  comprising,  un- 
der his  leadership,  ninety  institu- 
tions. The  present  definite  details 
of  the  unique  and  remarkable  pro- 
gram of  the  General  Board  of  Ed- 
ucation in  its  courses  of  religious 
education  have  come  largely  as  a 
result  of  the  clear  vision  and  effi- 
cient leadership  of  Dr.  Merrill  as 
Commissioner  of  Education. 

RATIONALLY  Dr.  Merrill  has 
risen  to  membership  in  the- 
scientific  societies  of  his  profession. 
At  home  he  has  been  honored  by 
his  associates  in  all  local  organiza- 
tions of  which  he  is  a  member, 
having  served  as  president  of  the 
Utah  Society  of  Engineers,  of  the 
Utah  Educational  Association,  of 
the  Utah  Section  of  the  American 
Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers, 
and  of  the  Engineering  Council  of 
Utah.  He  is  a  born  executive. 
Under  his  leadership  the  State 
School  of  Mines  and  Engineering 
at  the  University  achieved  phe- 
nomenal growth  and  prestige. 

Unceasingly  working  for  the 
public  good,  he  is  by  nature  a 
legislator.  I  have  never  known 
him  to  take  a  narrow  view  on  any 
subject.  The  State  is  indebted  to 
him  for  suggesting  legislation  re- 
quiring the  interest  on  State  money 
to  go  to  the  State  rather  than  to 
the  Treasurer.  Joseph  F.  Merrill 
is  the  soul  of  honor.  In  him  a 
chemical  analysis  could  not  find  a 
trace  of  deceit. 

He  holds  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy  from  that  famed 
graduate  institution,  Johns  Hop- 
kins University,  and  by  it  was  in 
addition  awarded  membership  in 
the  honorary  society  Phi  Beta  Kap- 
pa. The  technical  work  done  for 
his  doctorate  was  published  in  the 
Physical  Review  for  February, 
1899,  and  later  was  translated  in- 
to foreign  languages.  Though  a 
scientist  of  high  order,  he  has  de- 


veloped his  religious  thought  side 
by  side  with  his  attainments  in 
scholarship,  and  he  finds,  therefore, 
no  real  conflict  between  true  Re- 
ligion and  true  Science. 


T 


HIS    man    comes    from    that 
chosen   few   who    have    been 


leave  them  material  things  to  quarrel  over 
after  he  was  gone.  And  so  my  going  to 
college  in  188  9  created  a  desire  among  all 
the  younger  ^members  of  my  father's 
family  to  go  to  college  also,  which  all  of 
them  younger  than  I  subsequently  did. 
There  were  twelve  sons  younger  than  my- 
self; of  this  number  ten  have  been  gradu- 
ated from  college." 


gathered  "one  of  a  city  and  two  A  WORTHY  son  of  a  worthy 
of  a  family"  from  nearly  every  -C*  father,  he  had  also  a  devoted, 
country  of  the  world.  Of  pioneer  intellectual  and  faithful  mother, 
parents  and  a  native  of  Utah,  he  From  the  beginning  his  life  has 
was  born  in  Richmond  in  1868.  been  a  prayerful  one.  To  his 
He  was  a  pupil  of  that  devoted  callings  in  the  Church  he  has  de- 
teacher,  Ida  Cook.     He  was  grad-  voted  himself  with  the  same  ear- 


uated  from  the  Normal  school  of 
the  University  of  Utah  in  1889, 
and  from  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  in 
1893.    The  summers  of  1893  and 


nestness  that  he  gave  to  his  profes- 
sional duties.  He  has  been  a  most 
industrious  worker,  and  still  has 
found  time  for  recreation. 

By  his  faith,   by   his   years   of 


1902  he  spent  in  special  study  at  honest  and  unremitting  .study,  by 

Cornell,  and  the  summers  of  1894,  profound  scholarship,  by  continu 

1896  and  It  he  University  ™o  ,r»,fc   ^f  m^Mefni   i^AoreUi, 

of  Chicago 


le  University     ous  years  0f  successful  leadership 
11S      in  religious,  educational,  and  pub- 


training,  and  the  honors  from 
Johns  Hopkins,  in  1920  he  was 
awarded  the  honorary  degree,  Doc- 
tor of  Science  by  the  University 
of  Utah. 

Ponder  these  lines;  they  are  his 
own: 

"In  December,  18  88,  when  I  asked  my 
father  if  I  could  go  east  to  college  begin- 
ning in  the  fall  of  1889,  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation1  he  said,  yes,  and  that  he 
would  help  me  to  remain  in  college  as 
long  as  I  would  care  to  stay.  In  explan- 
ation he  said  that  all  his  life(  jhe  had  been 
handicapped  because  of  a  lack  of  educa- 
tion and  that  years  ago  he  had  concluded 
that  the  best  thing  he  could  do  for  his 
children  was  to  give  them  all  the  oppor- 
tunities   of    an    education    rather    than    to 


lie  affairs,  this  man,  Joseph  F. 
Merrill,  has  had  a  preparation 
which  seems  well-nigh  perfect  for 
work  [in  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve.  There  is  no  group  of 
scholars,  no  association  of  scien- 
tists or  philosophers,  whose  respect 
and  attention  Joseph  F.  Merrill 
can  not  command.  He  speaks  the 
language  of  thinkers,  scientists, 
philosophers.  Theirs  is  a  language 
familiar  to  Dr.  Merrill.  It  is  my 
conviction  that  during  the  whole 
of  his  life  he  has,  by  the  power 
of  \God,  been  in  course  of  prepara- 
tion for  the  place  to  which  he  is 
now  called. 


-«KN»<§jg>j*D(»- 


-<* 


Our  American  Intelligence 

^LBERT     EDWARD     WIG-  so  many  of  them.     It  is  true  that 

GAM  lifts  dolorous  voice  to  education   better   fits   one   for   life 

tell  us  that  American  intelligence  and  for  the  enjoyment  thereof,  but 

is  steadily  on  the  decline,  owing  to  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  it 

a  subnormal  birth  rate  among  edu-  increases    the    intellectual    capacity 


cated  folk  and  an  abnormal  one 
among  the  uneducated.  As  we  are 
drifting  now,  he  prophesies,  one 
thousand  Yale  and  Harvard  gradu- 
ates will  have  only  fifty  descend- 
ants left  within  six  generations, 
while  a  similar  number  of  today's 
unskilled  laborers  will  have  100,- 
000.  Are  we  downhearted?  Not 
a  [bit  of  it. 

What,  we  would  inquire  of  the 


either  of  the  educated  or  of  their 
offspring.  The  capacity  is  pre- 
determined. It  existed  before  the 
alphabet  was  learned.  A  Harvard 
graduate  may  have  a  fool  for  a  son 
— a  rebuke  to  the  family  traditions 
and  our  American  citizenship.  A 
pick  and  shovel  worker  may  father 
such  a  boy  as  will  go  far  in  science, 
statecraft  or  learning. 

A  declining  birth  rate  is  no  jest- 
ing matter,  but  so  long  as  it  is  not 


eminent  Mr.  Wiggarn,  has  educa-  national  in  scope  no  peril  presents 

tion  to  do  with  intelligence?     We  itseif.      Wealth,   station   and   cul- 

recruit  our  great  men  largely  from  ture,  we  are  happy  to  say,  have  no 

the  ranks  of  the  sons  of  labor.   To  patent    on  intelligence.      It    is;    a 

name  such  instances,  known  to  our  birthright    not    conferred    by    the 

times,  would  be  tiresome,  there  are  universities. — Portland  Oregonian, 


The  General  Conference 

In  Review 


By  JOHN  D.  GILES 

Of  the  T.  M.  M.  I.  A.  General  Board 


WITH  ten  thousand  people 
crowding  the  historic 
Tabernacle  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  the  one  hundred 
second  semi-annual  Conference  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  was  opened  Friday  morning, 
October  4,  by  President  Heber  J. 
Grant,  with  an  appeal  to  all  members 
of  the  Church  to  live  up  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Gospel. 

In  reviewing  conditions  within  the 
Church  President  Grant  stated  that, 
in  his  opinion,  there  was  less  suffer- 
ing in  the  Church  as  a  result  of  the 
depression  than  among  any  other  peo- 
ple. He  said  there  need  be  no  worry 
that  members  of  the  Church  would 
suffer  for  food  or  shelter  the  coming 
winter,  and  added  that  if  all  Latter- 
day  Saints  will  be  honest  in  the  pay- 
ment of  tithes  and  fast  offerings,  the 
Lord  will  provide  for  His  people. 
Reference  was  made  by  him  to  state- 
ments made  in  the  past  that  with 
the  splendid  organization  the  Church 
has  developed,  it  might  take  its  place 
among  the  leading  religious  organiza- 
tions of  the  world  if  it  would  only 
discard  the  story  of  Joseph  Smith. 
President  Grant  stated  that  the  whole 
foundation  of  the  Church  rests  upon 
the  testimony  of  Joseph  Smith.  He 
related  several  prophecies  and  their 
fulfillment  as  evidence  that  he  was  in 
reality  a  prophet  of  God.  Tributes 
to  Elders  Orson  F.  Whitney  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  and  Rey  L. 
Pratt  of  the  First  Council  of  Sev 
enti.es,  both  of  whom  have  passed 
away  since  the  last  conference,  were 
paid  by  the  President. 

pLDER  DAVID  O.  McKAY  in  his 
remarks  stated  that  it  is  wonder- 
ful to  be  anchored  to  the  truth.  He 
warned  against  accepting  slander  and 
calumny,  especially  when  directed  to- 
ward the  Church  and  its  officers. 


pLDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING 
SMITH,  referring  to  conditions 
existing  in  the  world  today,  said  that 
there  are  many  spirits  abroad  in  the 
land,  some  of  Which  are  good  and 
some  of  which  are  evil.  He  stated 
that  there  is  no  need  of  proving  them 
— that  the  Lord  has  sent  light  from 
Heaven  and  all  who  will  may  see  it. 


pLDER  RICHARD  R.  LYMAN 
took  as  his  text  regard  for  law  and 
order.  In  his  appeal  to  members  of  the 
Church,  he  said  that  lawlessness  and 
disregard  for  law  are  the  greatest  prob- 
lems today  in  this  land  of  Washington 
and  Lincoln.  He  urged  members  to 
stand  squarely  behind  the  law  and 
refuse  to  be  parties  to  its  violation. 

DISHOP  DAVID  A.  SMITH  stated 
that  one  of  the  big  problems  of  the 
Presiding  Bishopric  during  the  past  has 
been  unemployment.  He  recited  some 
experiences  to  indicate  that  some  un- 
fortunate ones  have  brought  difficul- 
ties upon  themselves  through  unwise 
action.  He  urged  all  to  be  thrifty  and 
to  avoid  extravagance.  "We  are  liv- 
ing, he  said,  "in  a  period  when  God 
has  found  it  necessary  to  call  His  chil- 
dren back  to  thoughts  of  Him." 

PRESIDENT  CHARLES  H. 
HART  directed  his  remarks  prin- 
cipally to  a  book  recently  published 
under  the  title,  "A  Lawyer  and  the 
Bible."  He  said  it  marshalled  the  facts 
that  supported  belief  in  the  Bible  and 
had  caused  many  lawyers  who  were 
even  greater  than  the  author  of  the 
book  to  conclude  that  the  Bible  is 
divine. 

DISHOP  JOHN  WELLS  drew  a 
parallel  between  conditions  exist- 
ing today  and  those  of  the  days  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  when  the  Saints 
were  called  upon  to  come  to  Church 
and  bring  food  for  the  needy.  He  said 
there  is  need  of  a  revival  of  the  cus- 
tom of  giving  relief  for  the  poor. 

pLDER    JOSEPH    F.    MERRILL, 
who  was  sustained  at  the  confer- 
ence as  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the 


The  Hill   Cumorah 


Twelve  stated  that  he  realized  in  all 
humility  the  wonderful  honor  which 
had  come  to  him  in  being  nominated 
to  the  high  office.  He  paid  tribute  to 
the  men  at  the  head  of  the  Church, 
saying  that  he  knows  them  to  be  men 
of  God  with  the  welfare  of  God's  peo- 
ple at  heart.  He  felt  keenly  the  need  of 
working  with  the  young  people  of 
the  Church  because  of  the  perilous 
times  through  which  we  are  passing. 

pLDER  STEPHEN  L.  RICH- 
ARDS  expressed  gratitude  for  his 
ability  to  recognize  spiritual  realities. 
He  said  he  realizes  there  are  many 
whose  hearts  do  not  respond  to  im- 
pressions from  divine  sources.  He 
expressed  regret  that  this  is  so,  but 
stated  that  he  does  not  abuse  those 
who  have  not  this  blessing.  He  plead- 
ed for  tolerance  for  those  whose  hearts 
have  not  yet  been  touched.  In  his 
opinion,  the  youth  of  today  face 
temptations  and  problems  that  no  gen- 
eration before  has  ever  had  to  face. 

"If  the  Saints  will  count  their  many 
blessings,  they  jsurely  !will  he  Sur- 
prised," said  Elder  James  E.  Talmage 
in  his  address.  "Among  those  bless- 
ings," he  said,  "is  the  privilege  of 
assembling  to  be  instructed  and  guid- 
ed." In  urging  the  Saints  to  keep 
the  commandments  of  jGod,  Elder 
Talmage  especially  stressed  the  com- 
mandment, "Thou  shalt  not  take  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  thy  God,  in  vain." 
While  profanity  is  a  common  sin,  not 
one  word  can  be  said  in  its  defense. 
Passages  of  scripture  were  quoted  to 
emphasize  the  sacredness  of  the  name 
of  Deity.  He  stated  that  the  com- 
mandment against  taking  |in  vain  the 
name  of  God  in  principle  is  an  eter- 
nal one.  He  closed  his  remarks  with 
the  admonition,  "Let  Latter-day  Saints 
remember  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  all 
respects  and  not  take  His  name  in 
vain." 

"The  things  of  the  world  are  being 
better  advertised  than  the  things  of 
God,"  was  the  opinion  expressed  by 
Elder  Jonathan  G.  Kimball.  He  re- 
ferred to  methods  being  used  to  adver- 
tise tobacco  by  radio  and  other  means, 
and  said  that  he  prays  that  the  youth 
may  be  protected  from  evil  and 
temptation. 


12 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


pLDER  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG 
dwelt  upon  reverence,  particularly 
for  places  of  worship.  He  said  that  if 
Latter-day  Saints  can  make  reverence 
a  daily  practice  when  they  enter  a 
house  of  worship  they  will  be  able  to 
respond  more  obediently  to  the  true 
meaning  of  the  Gospel. 

DRESIDENT  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS 
made  his  first  conference  address  as 
a  member  of  the  first  Council  of  Sev- 
enties. (The  Era  for  June,  1931,  re- 
ports the  appointment  of  President 
Ivins. )  He  brought  greetings  from  the 
Church  members  in  the  Hawaiian  Is- 
lands, from  the  Mexican  people,  and 
from  the  forty-one  missionaries  in  the 
Mexican  Mission,  over  which  he  now 
presides.  He  paid  tribute  to  President 
Rey  L.  Pratt,  his  predecessor  both  in 
the  Council  of  Seventy  and  in  the 
Presidency  of  the  Mexican  Mission. 

DRESIDENT  RUDGER  CLAW- 
SON  prefaced  his  remarks  with  the 
statement  that  he  had  never  yet  heard 
false  doctrine  advanced  from  the  tab- 
ernacle pulpit  in  any  gathering  of  the 
Church,  and  said  that  he  takes  satisfac- 
tion in  bearing  that  testimony.  "Any 
speaker  who  stands  before  the  Saints," 
he  said,  "is  expected  to  tell  the  truth. 
If  he  were  to  advance  false  doctrine,  it 
would  be  detected  by  those  who  pre- 
side, and  no  doubt  by  the  congrega- 
tion also."  "The  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  was  preached  from  the  begin- 
ning," said  President  Clawson,  "and 
is  being  preached  at  the  present  time 
wjich  profound  .influence  upon  the 
world."  He  urged  the  Saints  to  in- 
terest themselves  in  Temple  work  and 
cited  prophecies  and  their  fulfillment 
to  show  the  importance  of  this  labor. 

pRESIDENT  ANTHONY  W. 
IVINS  based  his  remarks  upon  a 
quotation  from  Isaiah  which  refers  to 
the  day  when  there  shall  "be  an  altar 
to  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  the  land 
of  Egypt  and  a  pillar  at  the  border 
thereof  to  the  Lord.  And  it  shall  be 
for  a  sign  and  for  a  witness  unto  the 
Lord  of  Hosts  in  the  land  of  Egypt." 
President  Ivins  then  spoke  regarding 
the  great  pyramid  of  Gizeh,  believed 
to  have  been  built  342  years  B.  C.  and 
the  relation  of  that  pyramid  to  mod- 
ern astronomy  and  mathematical  cal- 
culations. He  said  that  calculations 
made  by  scholars  and  scientists  seem 
to  indicate  that  the  pyramid  contains 
a  history  of  the  human  race,  forcasting 
future  events  and  predicting  the  time 
of  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  He  said 
he  had  not  given  any  particular  study 
to  the  calculations  of  scientists  regard- 
ing the  mystery  of  Egypt  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  Church  does  not  depend 
upon  pyramids  nor  the  conclusions 
of  scientists  for  its  guidance.  It  was 
pointed  out  by  President  Ivins  that 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  through  revela- 


tion, had  received  ample  warnings  and 
knew  what  signs  would  be  given  and 
their  meanings. 

PRESIDENT  CHARLES  W.  NIB- 
LEY,,  in  opening  his  address,  said, 
"We  have  fallen  upon  strange  times 
and  J  fear  the  end  is  not  yet."  He  said 
that  the  distress  of  nations  and  other 
signs  all  about  were  of  ominous  nature. 
President  Nibley  said  the  Lord  had 
shown  his  people  a  way  out  of  these 
difficulties  and  referred  to  the  United 
Order,  In  his  opinion  the  widespread 
distress  existing  today  clearly  shows 
that  something  is  wrong.  He  stated 
it  would  be  a  fine  thing  if  people 
were  ready  for  the  United  Order  and 
if  it  could  be  put  into  effect. 

pLDER  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS 
read  from  the  Book  of  Moroni, 
Moroni  being  the  one  who  delivered 
the  plates  to  Joseph  Smith  and  re- 
ceived them  back  after  the  translation. 
He  pointed  out  that  the  scripture  con- 
tains a  promise  that  all  who  wish  to 
know  the  truth  would  receive  testi- 
mony from  God;  that  we  can  under- 
stand as  well  as  did  the  prophets  of 
old,   if  we  are  true  and  faithful. 

PRESIDING  BISHOP  SYLVES- 
r  TER  Q.  CANNON,  closing  the 
Sunday  morning  session,  said  it  should 
be  clear  that  we  did  not  establish  the 
Gospel;  that  it  was  established  by  God. 
He  declared  that  faith  in  God  is  need- 
ed in  these  times  more  than  ever  be- 
fore. He  said  the  Gospel  compre- 
hends the  things  which  are  good  for 
all  mankind,  temporal  as  well  as  spirit- 


ual: that  the  Saints  had  been  blessed 
with  the  leadership  of  men  who  were 
inspired  of  God. 

pLDER  REED  SMOOT  urged  the 
Saints  to  be  more  prayerful.  He 
expressed  the  opinion  that  if  prayer 
and  other  principles  of  the  Church 
were  universally  observed  the  world 
would  not  be  in  the  condition  it  is  in 
today.  The  times  the  people  are  pass- 
ing through  will,  in  the  opinion  of 
Senator  Smoot,  turn  their  hearts  to 
God.  He  said  it  was  his  opinion  that 
the  teaching  of  atheism  in  the  univer- 
sities of  the  country  and  in  social  and 
civil  organizations  is  one  reason  for 
the  great  .crime  wave  which  is  sweep- 
ing  the    country. 

tp  LDER  GEORGE  ALBERT 
^  SMITH  declared,  "From  the 
depths  of  my  soul,  I  am  thankful  to 
have  as  my  associates  what  I  consider 
the  best  men  and  women  in  the 
world."  Elder  Smith  said  that  this  is 
a  marvelous  age  and  it  is  difficult  to 
understand  why  it  is  so  hard  to  make 
the  world  at  large  believe  this  Church 
is  the  work  of  God  and  not  of  man. 
"When  I  see  how  utterly  helpless  the 
world  is  in  meeting  the  problems  of 
today,"  said  Elder  Smith,  "I  can  not 
help  but  think  how  different  it  would 
be  if  the  leaders  of  the  nations  would 
turn  their  faces  to  God  for  assistance." 

A  greater  and  more  strict  pay- 
ment of  tithes  in  order  that  proper 
care  may  be  taken  of  the  poor  and 
unfortunate  was  urged  by  Elder  Mel- 
vin  J.  Ballard.  He  expressed  the 
opinion  that  it  would  be  a  simple  step 
for  the  unemployed  in  suffering  the 
pangs  of  hunger  to  reach  the  stage 
where  they  would  take  property  un- 
lawfully. He  said  he  hoped  this  would 
not  be  done  and  urged  the  Latter-day 
Saints  to  take  every  step  possible 
to  preclude  such  action.  He  expressed 
the  opinion  that  the  experiences 
through  which  the  country  is  passing 
will  have  their  benefits.  "The  Cre- 
ator is  not  interested  in  markets  or 
money,"  said  Elder  Ballard,  "but  in 
more  enduring  and  God-fearing  men." 

pRESIDENT  GRANT  closed  the 
conference  with  an  inspiring  and 
encouraging  address  after  presenting 
the  General  Authorities  and  members 
of  boards  of  the  auxiliary  organiza 
tions. 

The  presidents  of  missions  in  their 
addresses  reported  encouraging  prog- 
ress considering  the  missionaries  avail- 
able, and  several  made  urgent  appeals 
for  more  missionaries  to  be  sent  to 
the  field. 

Special  meetings  of  the  auxiliary 
associations  were  held  as  usual  with 
attendance   far   exceeding  the   average. 


PICTURE  a  crowd  of  some 
four  thousand  people  assem- 
bled in  a  huge  auditorium 
in  Oldenburg,  Germany,  on  a  Sat- 
urday afternoon  of  October,  1930. 
Women,  and  many  of  them  wear- 
ing costly  apparel,  are  in  the  ma- 
jority, but  well-built  young  men 
in  their  early  twenties  are  also 
strongly  represented.  Most  of  the 
latter  are  dressed  in  the  inevitable 
brown  shirts,  sand-brown  belts 
and  corduroy  breeches  of  the  Ger- 
man Fascisti.  Four  thousand  peo- 
ple sitting  eager  and  tense  with 
expectation,  four  thousand  pairs 
of  eyes  trained  on  the  speakers' 
platform,  and  four  thousand  fig- 
ures rising  to  their  feet  with  one 
accord  as  the  next  speaker  is  in- 
troduced and  making  the  large  hall 
reverberate  with  the  thunderous 
salutation,  "Hoch!  —  Hoch!  — 
Hocht"  A  man  not  much  over 
forty  years,  of  slender  build  and 
pleasing  countenance  stands  before 
the  vast  assemblage,  raises  his  right 
hand  in  the  Fascist  salute,  and 
with  a  penetrating  voice  speaks: 
"Germans!  I  give  you  greeting!" 
It  is  the  voice  of  the  "magician," 
of  the  German  "hypnotist,"  and 
its  every  tone  and  shade  of  quality 
seem  to  say — "Introducing  Adolf 
Hitler,  spell-binder,  par  excellence, 
orator  unexcelled,  and  Napoleon 
of  oral  conflict!" 

It  was  on  this  occasion  that  I 
saw  Hitler  for  the  first  time,  and 
during  the  half  hour  that  he  spoke 
I  formed  my  first  impressions  of 
him  and  the  organization  over 
which  he  presides.  I  believe  I  was 
the  only  American  in  the  audience, 
and    I    had   come   there   prompted 


Adolf   Hitler 

The  Man  and 

His  Ideas 


By 

Wendell  C.  Irvine 


more  by  idle  curiosity  than  per- 
sonal interest,  but  inhaling  the 
highly  intensified  atmosphere  of 
hero  worship  radjiated  by  those 
around  me,  and, — my  knowledge 
of  German  permitting — listening 
to  the  man  himself,  I,  too,  suc- 
cumbed to  his  magic,  fell  under 
the  spell  of  his  wand,  and  felt  al- 
most forced  to  agree  with  my 
neighbor  in  saying  that  a  new  and 
brighter  star  had  appeared  in  the 
political  constellation  of  the  world. 
A  few  hours  later  in  my  hotel 
room,  where  I  was  able  to  think 
reasonably  once  more,  I  gave  my- 
self up  to  analytical  thought,  and 
concluded  that  Adolf  Hitler  wasn't 
as  great  as  Bismarck  after  all,  that 
the  content  of  his  speech  that  after- 
noon was  inclined  to  border  on 
radicalism,  and  that  his  speech  was 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  ideal  con- 
ditions under  which  he  spoke. 
However,  even  in  the  face  of  my 
sudden  return  to  saneness,  I  was 
forced  to  admit  that  he  was  the 
greatest  orator  I  had  ever  heard, 
and  that  while  his  personality  was 
not  akin  to  greatness,  it  was  a 
dominating,  compelling  force  that 
would  play  a  salient  role  in  the 
unfolding  of  the  new  German  his- 
tory. Whether  for  good  or  evil, 
it  was  a  power  that  would  be  felt. 

/"^OING  down  to  dinner  that 
evening  I  was  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  see  an  unusually  large 
crowd  in  the  lobby,  and  on  mak- 
ing inquiry  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
congestion  I  was  informed  that 
Hitler  and  his  contingent  were 
staying  at  this  hotel.  I  jokingly 
remarked  to  the  hotel  attendant 
with  whom  I  was  talking  that  I 


would  like  to  meet  this  Herr  Hitler. 
Without  a  moment's  hesitation  he 
told  me  that  he  thought  it  might 
be  arranged,  and  not  leaving  me 
time  to  protest,  made  his  way  over 
to  a  group  of  Fascist  leaders, 
brought  one  of  them  over  to  where 
I  was  standing,  and  told  him  I 
was  an  American  student  who  was 
desirous  of  meeting  Hitler  if  it 
could  be  arranged  conveniently. 
The  Fascist  lieutenant  greeted  me 
with  the  precise  military  bow  so 
often  seen  in  Germany,  and  seemed 
to  think  it  his  duty  to  entertain 
me  for  the  moment.  He  gave  me 
a  short  outline  of  the  political  sit- 
uation, and  although  his  ideas  were 
decidedly  a  la  Hitler,  I  gleaned 
information  that  was  of  great  in- 
terest to  me  inasmuch  as  I  had 
now  resolved  to  at  least  gain  an 
understanding  of  Fascism  and 
what  it  meant  to  the  German  na- 
tion. We  had  not  been  talking 
more  than  a  very  few  minutes 
when  Hitler  himself,  accompanied 
by  his  various  aides  and  body 
guards,  left  the  elevator  and  strode 
across  the  lobby.  My  newly  made 
friend  interrupted  him  in  his 
march,  saluted,  and  with  marked 
deference  and  respect  asked  if  he 
could  be  permitted  to  introduce 
"a  young  American  scholar."  (I 
take  my  bow.)  And  before  I  was 
aware  of  just  what  was  happening, 
I  was  shaking  the  hand  of  Adolf 
Hitler,  the  would-be  Dictator  of 
Germany,  and  answering  the  casu- 
al questions  which  he  politely 
asked.  This  whole  incident  did 
not  take  more  than  three  minutes, 
but  in  that  short  time  I  availed 
(Continued  on  page   54) 


l\ 


labit  Worth 


■■"  - , 


x 


£ 


*»H       .1,     -•— ' 


Dr.  P.  A.  Christensen 


AN  approach  to  happiness  is 
assured  if  the  seeker  can  be 
so  busy  with  his  required 
labors  as  to  find  them  painless  and, 
preferably,  so  much  in  love  with 
his  work  because  of  his  training, 
dedication,  ability  and  tastes,  that 
his  work  is  a  constant  joy,  and, 
therefore,  fun.      This  is  only  part 


of  the  formula,  however.  It  is 
equally  necessary  and  perhaps  more 
vital  that  the  happiness-hunter 
know  how  to  utilize  his  leisure 
time  pleasantly  and  profitably.  The 
problem  suggested  by  the  latter  re- 
quisite is  increasingly  weighty  in 
this  changing  world  of  ours  which, 
because  of  its  miraculous  inventions 
and  magic  labor-saving  machinery, 
threatens  to  increase  constantly  and 
consistently  the  amount  of  leisure 
time  which  the  average  individual 
has  at  his  disposal. 

CURELY  it  may  be  hoped,  then, 
that  every  individual,  young 
and  old,  is  either  making  or  has  al- 
ready acquired  a  hobby  which  may 
be  ridden  endlessly  with  satisfac- 
tion to  the  rider.  Perhaps  it  is 
just  general  reading  or  perhaps  the 
satisfaction  of  a  particular  taste  for 
mystery  stories,  or  books  of  travel, 
or  autobiographies  or  the  so-called 
modern  novel,  or  works  in  the  field 
of  psychology,  science  or  philoso- 
phy. Perhaps  it  expresses  itself  in 
the  enjoyment  of  playing  a  violin, 
or  even  a  saxophone,  or  in  sing- 
ing. It  might  find  its  activity  in 
painting  pictures  or  sketching  or  in 
amateur  theatricals  or  in  indul- 
gence of  the  urge  to  write  articles 
or  stories  which  may  never  seek 
publication.  It  might  find  ex- 
pression in  the  collection  of  rare 
bugs,  or  coins,  or  stamps.  Or  it 
might  find  its  activity  vicariously 
in  the  enjoyment  which  the  partici- 
pant discovers  in  listening  to  music 
or  studying  works  of  art. 

But  as  yet  we  have  not  men- 
tioned among  these  various  forms 
of  recreation  a  kind  which  always 
should  accompany  whatever  other 
hobby  the  individual  may  enjoy. 
We  are  referring  to  physical  acti- 
vity which  should  enable  the  seeker 
after  the  fuller  life  to  employ  some 
of  his  leisure  time  very  happily  in 
health-promoting,  trouble-bury- 
ing, zestful  play.  It  might  be 
golf  or  hiking.  It  might  be  tennis 
or  horsemanship.  It  might  be 
archery  or  boating  or  horseshoe 
pitching  or  volley  ball  or  cycling. 

COCIETY,  we  are  told,  takes  out 
a  splendid  insurance  policy  to 


Dr.  F.  S.  Harris 

protect  itself  against  the  evils  of 
restlessness,  of  anti-social  activi- 
ties, of  the  adoption  of  dangerous- 
'isms'  and-'ologies'  and  of  pervert- 
ed tastes  and  costly  abuse  of  activi- 
ty, when  it  makes  adequate  provi- 
sion for  the  use  of  the  individual's 
leisure  time. 

The  problem  of  recreation, 
therefore,  becomes  a  definite  per- 
sonal and  social  concern.  The  chief 
aims  of  any  physical  activity  pro- 
gram should  be  to  cultivate  the 
deepest  respect  and  the  highest  re- 
gard for  the  human  body  as  a  ma- 
chine which  must  be  functioning 
perfectly  to  assure  happiness  and 
efficiency  and  to  guarantee  alertness 
of  mind,  cheerfulness  and  vigor  of 
spirit  and  length  of  days;  and,  sec- 
ondly, to  establish  as  part  of  the 
assets  of  each  individual  proper 
recreational  habits  which  carry- 
over throughout  life. 

It  is  a  good  idea  for  those  of  us 
who  are  given  to  preaching  a  little 
to  turn  the  X-Ray  on  our  own 
structure  to  determine  whether  all 
is  in  good  order  and  perhaps  to 
provide  a  case  in  point. 

TT  is  with  a  great  deal  of  satisfac- 
tion that  we  discover  at  Brig- 
ham  Young  University  that  the 
objectives  of  the  recreational  pro- 
gram have  apparently  struck  a  re- 
sponsive chord  so  generally  that  we 
may  find  striking  examples  of  in- 
dividuals  who   have   acquired   the 


A 


cquirin 


'By 


habit  of  making  pleasurable  and 
profitable  use  of  leisure  time, — 
from  the  President  of  the  Church 
which  sponsors  the  Institution 
down  to  the  humblest  freshmen. 
Any  recreational  or  physical  edu- 
cational system  which  must  point 
to  the  activities  of  its  competing 
athletes  to  make  the  case  for  the 
general  system  is  admitting  a  grave 
weakness.  It  is  not  what  benefits 
might  be  administered  to  the  rela- 
tively few  (although  the  percent- 
age is  increasing  each  year  by  leaps 
and  bounds)  who  compete  on 
teams  representing  institutions, 
that  counts,  but  it  is  more  import- 
ant that  the  dividends  of  a  well- 
conceived  physical  education  pro- 
gram be  extended  to  all  of  the  in- 
dividuals enrolled  in  the  Institu- 
tion, including  the  faculty  mem- 
bers and  administrative  officers. 

It  is  perhaps  significant  that 
President  Heber  J.  Grant,  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  who  established  an  en- 
viable reputation  as  a  baseball 
player  in  the  pre-glove  days,  enjoys 
a  rather  steady  diet  of  golf  and 
plays  a  skillful  game  which  ex- 
presses itself  in  low  scores.  It  adds 
color  when  the  headlines  of  the 
sports  sheet  announce  that  Adam 
S.  Bennion,  former  Commissioner 
of  Education  of  the  L.  D.  S. 
Church,  and  his  son  are  crowned 
champions  in  tennis  doubles  in  the 
Salt  Lake  City  recreational  system 


President   T.   IS.   Taylor 


tournament.  It  is  with  satisfac- 
tion that  the  writer  recalls  the  fact 
that  Dr.  Joseph  F.  Merrill,  the 
Commissioner  of  Education  and 
the  newly-appointed  Apostle  of 
the  L.  D.  S.  Church,  was  for  many 
years  chairman  of  the  athletic 
council  at  the  University  of  Utah 
and  has  always  been  a  hearty  ad- 
vocate of  healthful  sports  and 
wholesome  recreation. 

A  LESSON  is  pointed  out  when 
T.  N.  Taylor,  Chairman  of 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Brigham 
Young  University,  and  President 
of  Utah  stake,  sallies  out  in  the 
fresh  morning  atmosphere  almost 
daily  to  complete  nine  or  eighteen 
holes  of  golf  before  presiding  over 
his  daily  business  meeting  which 
opens  the  day  of  Taylor  Brothers 
Company,  over  which  concern  he 
still  maintains  active  leadership. 
It  is  a  tribute  to  him  personally,  to 
the  jealous  care  he  has  accorded  his 
physical  being  and  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  proper  habits  of  recrea- 
tion that  at  the  age  of  63  he  is  able 
to  enjoy  with  boyish  enthusiasm 
his  regular  program  of  competitive 
golf  and  to  shoot  consistently  un- 
der fifty  for  nine  holes  and  occa- 
sionally a  forty-four. 

I^EW  men  follow  a  more  rigorous 
program  of  varied  activities 
than  President  F.  S.  Harris,  the  dy- 
namic administrator  of  Brigham 
Young  University.  His  leadership 
is  recognized  in  many  fields  of 
learning,  and  human  endeavor.  He 
travels  widely,  lectures  frequently, 
writes  prolifically  and  takes  most 
efficient  care  of  the  numerous  affairs 
of  a  large  and  growing  institution. 
Only  a  vigorous  body,  protected 
by  clean  and  sound  personal  habits, 
and  nurtured  by  vigorous  Roose- 
veltian  activities  would  enable  him 
to  carry  on  so  busily  and  so  suc- 
cessfully. With  youthful  zest  and 
endurance  he  indulges  at  frequent 
intervals  in  golf,  and  he  still  finds 
considerable  enjoyment  in  an  oc- 
casional horeback  ride.  No  better 
example  of  the  benefit  of  proper 
recreational  habits  might  be  found 
than  in  the  case  of  the  well-pre- 


G.  Ott  Romney 


B.  Y.  U, 


/.  W.  Knight 

served  and  well-loved  J.  Will 
Knight  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  Brigham  Young  University 
who,  because  of  the  care  he  has 
given  his  physical  being  and  the 
great  joy  and  health  he  has  derived 
from  outdoor  sports  as  a  partici- 
pant and  sympathetic  spectator,  is 
(Continued  on  page  31) 


acing 


By 

Dr.  Adam  S.  Bennion 


X.     What  is  Your  Best  Preparation? 


JUST  called  to  get  off  my 
train  at  3:40  A.  M.,  I  am 
convinced  that  about  the  best 
preparation  for  any  job  is  a 
good  night's  sleep.  And  yet  such 
a  call  has  its  compensations.  It  is 
fascinating  to  watch  one  day 
crowd  another  into  history.  Even 
a  half-awake  traveler  must  be  im- 
pressed that  the  night  makes  ample 
preparations  to  usher  in  the  dawn. 
She  has  to  take  in  her  lanterns  and 
paint  a  path  for  the  sun  to  follow. 
One  can  almost  fancy  the  new 
day's  rubbing  his  eyes  in  an  effort 
to  determine  whether  it's  really 
worth  while  to  carry  on.  Once 
fully  aroused,  he  seems  to  have  no 
question. 

All  jlife  bears  witness  to  the 
fact  that  ample  preparation  is  the 
key  to  success.  If  you've  had  a 
wonderfully  fine  trip  notice  how 
much  of  its  pleasure  attached  to 
the  care  given  to  its  arrangement, 
either  by  you  or  some  one  else. 
Writing  an  article  is  relatively  easy 
once  you  have  really  thought  it 
out.  Only  a  couple  of  days  ago 
I  watched  a  football  game  to  ob- 
serve once  more  the  significance 
of  careful  preparation.  The  men 
had  trained  themselves  to  hold  up 
under  stress  and  strain.  They  had 
practiced  holding  the  ball  and  get- 
ting off  fast.  They  knew  their 
signals  perfectly.  They  teamed  to- 
gether well — one  player  taking  his 
man  in — another  blocking  his  out. 
Every  movement  gave  evidence  of 
painstaking  preparation.  The  game 
was  good  to  watch.  It  was  a 
success  measured  from  any  point 
of  view. 

A    FEW  weeks  ago  I  watched  a 

surgeon  perform  an  operation. 

His  skill  was  remarkable.      At  a 

cost   of   infinite    pains     involving 


time,  money  and  tireless  effort  he 
had  fitted  himself  to  save  life  and 
to  promote  its  functions.  A  won- 
derfully effective  though  silent 
tribute   to  adequate  preparation. 

Recently  a  garage  mechanic  gave 
evidence  of  that  same  truth.  Thor- 
oughly trained,  he  had  but  to  let 
his  ear  check  the  performance  of 
the  engine  to  discover  the  probable 
cause  of  the  difficulty.  That  di- 
agnosed, he  proceeded  immediately 
to  its  correction.  It's  a  genuine 
pleasure  to  observe  any  man  do  a 
really  good  piece  of  work — and  his 
performance  rests  almost  invari- 
ably upon  just  one  foundation — 
ample  preparation.  Not  mere 
routine  repetition,  but  intelligent, 
scientific,  analytical,  reasoned  pro- 
cedure— each  step  an  ordered  se- 
quence in  the  light  of  circum- 
stances. 


HPHESE  thoughts  are  stressed  here 
at  the  beginning  of  this  the 
concluding  article  of  this  series  be- 
cause so  few  of  us  relatively  are 
willing  to  pay  the  price  of  infinite 
pains.  And  experience  recommends 
no  substitute.  Mediocrity  is  the 
reward  of  lack  of  preparation. 

This  is  the  tenth  and  final  ar- 
ticle on  Facing  Life.  To  date  we 
have  considered  the  following  chal- 
lenges: 

1 .  Facing  Life. 

2.  The  Will  to  Achieve. 

3.  Limitations — Heredity,   Op- 
portunity, Training,  Habits. 

4.  Foresight   —    Building    for 
Tomorrow. 

5.  What  Can  You  Do? 

6.  What  Would   You   Choose 
To  Do? 

7.  What  Is  a  Good  Job? 

8.  What  Is  Success? 

9.  What  Fields  are  Open? 

Of  course,  all  of  these  nine  must 
be  woven  together  to  constitute  the 
basis  for  real  preparation.  All  life 
to  date  enters  into  all  life  ahead. 
Tomorrow  inevitably  has  its  foun- 
dations in  today.  That's  why  it 
is  so  important  to  do  eminently 
well  whatever  lies  in  the  way  of 
doing  right  now.  Every  present 
performance  fits  or  unfits  us  to 
succeed  at  the  next  job  to  cross  our 
paths.  Experience  is  a  graded  se- 
quence of  performance — excellence 
is  the  certificate  of  promotion. 


"How  long  the  violets  'neath  the  snow 
Toiled  ere  they  breathed  the  Spring! 

How  long  the  poet  dreamed  his  song 
Before  his  heart  could  sing! 

- — C.  H.  Towne. 

"When  the  fight  begins  within  himself, 
A  man's  worth  something." 

- — Browning. 

So  many   of   the   letters   which 
have  come  in  raise  the  question  of 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


17 


preparation.  After  listing  events 
in  their  lives  to  date  and  indicat- 
ing their  hopes  for  the  future,  writ- 
ers have  rather  regularly  inquired: 
"Now  what  should  I  set  about 
to  do?"  Of  course,  every  job 
calls  for  its  own  program  of  prep- 
aration— there  is  no  one  recipe  of 
procedure — and  yet  there  are  cer- 
tain fundamental  considerations 
against  which  any  man  may  check 
his  developments.  Let  us  attempt 
to  think  them  through. 

I. 

A  T  the  foundation  of  all  prepa- 
ration, as  it  is  at  the  base  of 
all  performance,  is  Health.  Correct 
habits  of  life  are  fundamental  to 
any  permanent  achievement.  A 
brief  article  like  this  cannot  of 
course  lay  out  a  brief  hygiene — it 
can  but  suggest  that  each  reader  do 
just  that  thing  for  himself.  The 
human  body  is  a  wonderful  mech- 
anism. Given  proper  attention  it 
will  respond.  Every  man  should 
build  his  own  program  of  habits 
which  provides  for  the  giving  of 
adequate  consideration  to: 

1 .  Food 

2.  Rest 

3.  Exercise 

4.  Elimination 

5.  Avoidance  of  Excesses 

6.  Safeguarding  Exposure. 

TT  is  normal  to  be  well.  When- 
ever we  are  sick  it  is  usually  be- 
cause we  have  neglected  or  violated 
one  of  these  six  suggestions.  Space 
forbids  a  discussion  of  them,  but 
if  you  really  respond  to  their  sig- 
nificance you  can  easily  find  ample 
material  for  your  guidance  regard- 
ing them.  Our  great  difficulty  lies 
in  the  fact  that  we  are  unmindful 
of  their  tremendous  importance — 
or  we  are  lazy — or  we  like  to 
indulge  our  appetites- — or  we  risk 
a  strain  now  promising  ourselves 
that  we  shall  let  up  after  while — 
all  too  frequently  after  too  long 
a  while.  Pain  and  discomfiture 
or  fatigue  are  nature's  danger  sig- 
nals. Try  being  your  own  phy- 
sician right  now! 

Does  the  food  you  eat  agree 
with  you  and  does  it  really  nourish 
you?  Do  you  eat  variety  enough 
to  satisfy  your  needs?  Have  you 
•checked  your  regular  menus  for 
fats,  carbohydrates,  and  proteins? 
Do  you  eat  regularly  enough  vege- 
tables and  roughage?  Are  you 
eating    too    much    of    anything? 


Sooner  or  later  you  will  have  to 
answer  all  of  these  questions.  Run 
them  over  now  while  you  are 
blessed  with  good  health.  Make 
some  little  study  of  diet.  It  really 
is  the  foundation  of  your  well- 
being. 

Have  you  determined  the 
amount  of  rest  you  need  in  order 
to  feel  fit?  Do  you  regularly  get 
it  or  are  you  tolerating  an  over- 
draft on  your  natural  reserves? 

Do  you  take  out  time  regularly 
for  play?  Do  you  completely 
change  your  routine  at  regular  in- 
tervals? Do  you  add  newness  of 
life  through  exercise  that  calls  for 
the  going  to  the  bottom  of  your 
lungs?  Do  you  cultivate  the  nat- 
ural tiredness  that  welcomes  sleep? 
Do  you  get  out  in  the  open  and 
give  the  sun  a  real  chance  at  you? 

Try  analyzing  your  regular 
practices  against  all  six  of  these 
suggestions.  After  all  you  are  your 
own  best  physician.  If  you  take 
pains  to  be  such  you  may  seldom 
need  another.  Thoughtful  care  is 
nature's  first  medicine.  And  it  can 
be  paid  for  in  attention. 

II. 

YXITUDE.  This  may  strike 
'**■  you  as  a  peculiar  suggestion 
by  way  of  preparation  for  your 
life's  work,  but  I  am  more  and 
more  concerned  about  its  signifi- 
cance. Indifference  has  cost  many 
an  otherwise  capable  man  his 
chance  of  recognition  and  promo- 
tion. A  certain  zest  is  the  key  to 
any  outstanding  performance.  The 
ability  cheerfully  to  put  one's  heart 
into  work  is  a  real  asset.  The  man 
who  "everlastingly  goes  after"  a 
job  is  hard  to  deny.  The  world 
this  year  is  paying  tribute  to  Fara- 
day for  his  outstanding  contribu- 
tion to  the  progress  of  the  electrical 
industry,  and  yet  at  the  age  of  ten 
he  was  hired  out  as  a  lackey  to  a 
news  stand  proprietor.  But  the 
news  stand  proved  a  benediction.  It 
offered  satisfaction  to  a  soul  hun- 
gry for  learning.  It  might  have 
been  only  one  more  place  to  sweep 
up.  It  is  a  wonderful  thing  really 
to  hunger  and  thirst  after  knowl- 
edge. Therein  lies  the  spark  which 
must  kindle  the  fire  of  achieve- 
ment. 

"Whatsoever   thy   hand   findeth    to   do, 
do  it  with  thy  might." — Ecclesiastes  8:10. 

If  indifference  costs  many  a  man 
his    opportunity,    smug    self-satis- 


faction is  a  dangerous  ally.  So 
many  men  seem  to  spoil  under 
success.  A  "turned  head"  makes 
one  so  liable  to  stumble  into  the 
pitfalls  of  conceit.  A  sweet  hu- 
mility should  teach  us  all  that  out 
beyond  any  apparent  success  there 
lie  far  greater  fields  of  conquest. 
What  awaits  us  yet  to  be  done  so 
far  outweighs  the  little  we  may 
have  done  that  pride  ought  never 
to  be  able  to  win  us  to  disdain. 

Then,  too,  life  is  so  complex 
that  we  regularly  need  the  help  of 
others.  The  one  real  guarantee 
that  we  deserve  it  is  that  we  have 
given  it.  A  bank  account  of  grati- 
tude is  one's  best  insurance  against 
a  day  of  helplessness. 

These  three — zest,  humility, 
helpfulness  constitute  a  homely  but 
wonderfully  workable  recipe  for 
building  a  successful   attitude. 

III. 

O  TUDY.  You  don't  have  to  go 
^  to  college  to  be  a  student.  But 
you  have  to  be  a  student  if  you 
care  to  make  a  place  for  yourself. 
And  it  is  so  easy  these  days  to  carry 
forward  a  program  of  study — at 
least  it  is  easy  to  find  ample  ma- 
terial upon  which  to  work.  Ex- 
perience, of  course,  offers  the  foun- 
dation upon  which  to  build.  "Rip- 
ened in  experience"  is  the  one  best 
guarantee  of  wisdom.  There  is  no 
substitute  for  it.  But  it  requires 
"an  experiencing  nature"  really  to 
be  of  most  worth. 

The  ability  to  take  out  of  each 
day's  experience  the  richness  which 
really  attaches  to  it  is  a  rare  gift. 
Cultivate  the  knack  of  seeing  life 
to  the  full.  Try  yourself  out. 
Talk  over  with  yourself  just  what 
in  today's  experience  will  likely 
lead  you  some  place.  How  much 
asserts  itself  out  of  the  routine? 
You  are  the  one  person  in  the 
world  who  can  make  your  experi- 
ence meaningful.  Go  out  of  your 
way  to  make  it  helpful  to  someone 
else — that  is  the  one  best  way  to 
make  it  rich  for  yourself. 

pHE  second  great  field  for  study 
is  books.  Every  worthy  book 
represents  the  best  thinking  and 
feeling  of  an  outstanding  man  or 
woman.  Through  such  a  book 
you  may  live  vicariously  another's 
wonderful  experiences.  He  only 
speaks  the  sentiments  of  your  own 
soul — gives  expression  to  the  best 
latent  thoughts  which  you  have 
cherished. 


18 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


When  you  have  chosen  a  given 
field  in  which  you  would  make 
exploration,  find  the  half  dozen 
names  which  the  world  recognizes 
as  the  greatest  in  that  field.  Go 
to  school  of  them  through  their 
books.  If  you  find  a  real  book 
for  you,  you  Hkely  will  never  be 
the  same  again.  It  will  kindle  a 
flame  in  your  soul. 

Some  one  has  said  that  the  heart 
of  a  university  is  a  collection  of 
great  books.  The  key  to  a  sub- 
stantial learning  is  the  reading  of 
them.  How  many  worth  while 
books  have  you  read  in  the  last 
three  months?  What  ones  are  you 
now  reading?  What  ones  have  you 
on  your  waiting  list?  If  you  an- 
swer none,  turn  to  now  before  life 
robs  you  of  one  of  your  richest 
privileges  —  the  opportunity  to 
commune  with  a  great  soul 
through  the  pages  of  his  book. 
This  article  is  short  and  your  in- 
terests are  varied,  so  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  set  down  names  of 
books  here.  But  there  are  a  half 
dozen  books  for  you.  If  you 
haven't  found  them  write  in  for 
hints  concerning  them. 

What  has  been  said  of  books  can 
be  said  substantially  of  magazines. 
Many  of  the  best  minds  in  Amer- 
ica are  contributing  regularly  to 
our  best  current  publications.  They 
deserve  thoughtful  consideration. 
If  you  want  to  make  one  month 
particularly  rich,  try  the  experi- 
ment of  (giving  its  evenings  to  mak- 
ing the  acquaintance  of  any  ten 
of  our  best  magazines.  Your  local 
librarian  can  tell  you  which  they 
are.  If  you  want  to  check  on  your 
reading  habits  name  the  magazines 
you  have  read  in  the  past  month. 
How  much  out  across  ten  years 
would  such  reading  contribute  to 
your  general  culture? 

It  is  presumed  that  you  keep  in 
touch  with  a  good  newspaper. 

A  ND  finally  you  may  study 
men.  They  will  give  you 
many  of  your  most  valuable  sug- 
gestions. Do  you  regularly  get 
from  them  what  they  have  to  of- 
fer. If  you  could  talk  to  the  three 
most  outstanding  men  in  your 
state  tonight,  what  would  you  ask 
them?  How  many  of  the  men  to 
whom  you  have  spoken  during 
the  past  week  have  you  really  al- 
lowed to  help  you  in  your  search 
for  wisdom?  The  fine  art  of  ask- 
ing questions,  coupled  with  the  fine 
art  of  listening — these  two  are 
wonderful  aids  to  learning. 


Experience,  books,  magazines 
and  newspapers,  and  men — here 
certainly  in  rich  abundance  are 
your  sources  for  study. 

Listen  in  for  a  moment  to  three 
notable  Americans  who  speak  out 
of  a  day  when  education  was  re- 
garded as  a  sacred  privilege. 

"The  good  education  of  youth  has  been 
esteemed  by  wise  men  in  all  ages  as  the 
surest  foundation  of  the  happiness  both 
of  private  families  and  of  commonwealths. 
So  may  it  be  of  the  youth  of  Pennsyl- 
vania."— Benjamin   Franklin. 

"Let  the  youth  acquire  by  industry  and 
application  such  knowledge  as  his  situation 
enables  him  to  obtain.  In  doing  this  two 
other  important  objects  will  be  gained 
besides  the  acquisition  of  knowledge — 
namely,  a  habit  of  industry  and  a  disrelish 
of  that  profusion  of  money  and  dissipation 
of  time  which  are  ever  dependent  upon 
Idleness." — Washington. 

"Above  all  things,  I  hope  the  education 
of  the  common  people  will  be  attended  to; 
convinced  that  on  this  good  sense  we  may 
rely  with  the  most  security  for  the  preser- 
vation of  a  due  degree  of  liberty.  If  a  na- 
tion expects  to  be  ignorant  and  free  in  a 
state  of  civilization  it  expects  what  never 
was  and  never  will  be." — Thomas  Jeffer- 
son. 

If  you  have  really  caught  the 
meaning  of  study,  you  find  your- 
self in  any  situation  trying  to  do 
three  things: 

1.  Get  all  available  facts; 

2.  Correlate  and  evaluate  those 
facts; 

3.  Form  sound  judgments  in 
the  light  of  those  facts. 

The  ability  to  do  those  three 
things  is  after  all  the  real  test  in- 
tellectually of  an  education. 

As  you  think  through  the  mat- 
ter of  your  preparation  for  bigger 
things,  I  can  offer  only  two  other 
suggestions: 

IV 

(CULTIVATE  a  Sense  of  Ad- 
^  venture.  You  may  have 
locked  within  you  the  secret  to  the 
proper  working  out  of  many  of  the 
problems  now  troubling  society. 
Only  you  can  reveal  the  secret. 
Reach  out  and  "spress  yourself." 
Even  if  you  don't  startle  the  world 
with  an  oustanding  contribution, 
your  effort  will  bring  you  a  cre- 
ative satisfaction  which  is  one  of 
the  keys  to  happiness. 

V 

p\EVELOP  the  Happy  Faculty 
•*-J  of  Enjoying  What  You  Have. 
Too  many  of  us  in  our  ambitions 
to  achieve  some  end,  let  either 
worry  or  regret  crowd  real  happi- 


ness out  of  our  lives.  And  the  sad 
thought  is  that  we  do  so  all  along 
the  way.  If  these  articles  seem  to 
have  carried  an  urge  to  you  to 
strive  to  become  other  than  you 
now  are,  accept  that  challenge — 
they  have  been  written  to  do  just 
that  thing.  But  you  oughtn't  to 
be  unhappy  in  the  process.  Learn 
to  find  happiness  where  you  are 
and  in  what  you  are  now  doing 
and  take  it  along  with  you.  If 
you  can't  find  it  now  it  may  be 
that  you  never  can.  A  recent  is- 
sue of  one  of  the  outstanding  pa- 
pers in  America  carried  this  note 
of  good  sense  for  all  of  us: 

"Mrs.  Richard  M.  Cadwalader  of  Phil- 
adelphia now  owns  the  largest  and  most 
luxurious  yacht  in  the  world,  the 
Savarona,  built  at  Hamburg,  Germany, 
especially  for  her.  Its  cost  was  around 
$5,000,000.  It  has  every  desirable  feat- 
ure a  yacht  can  have,  and  is  407  feet  long 
— nearly  sixty-five  feet  longer  than  the 
famous  J.  P.  Morgan's  'Corsair.' 

"What  is  a  flock  of  fine  motor  cars 
compared  with  such  a  magnificent  play- 
thing? or  a  fine  city  and  country  resi- 
dence? when  one  can  finance  parties  on 
trips  around  the  world.  So  we  say,  a 
lucky  lady.  But  we  say  it  without  preju- 
dice against  other  lucky  ladies;  for  in- 
stance, a  young  wife  and  mother  in  a  little 
cottage  of  her  own  in  a  pleasant  neigh- 
borhood, with  a  husband  devoted  to  pro- 
viding for  her  and  her  children.  She 
may  be  just  as  happy  as  Mrs.  Cadwalader 
and  have  many  less  cares  and  anxieties, 
and  not  be  important  in  society  or  in  the 
news  of  travel. 

"That  is  because  in  this  wonderful 
world  happiness  is  not  a  matter  of  wealth, 
but  may  come  to  families  of  small  means, 
and  frequently  does — enduring  happiness 
all  through  life." 

To  me  that  just  means: 

Be  The  Best  of  Whatever  You  Are 

If  you  can't  be  a  pine  on  the  top  of  the 
hill, 

Be  a  scrub  in  the  valley — but  be 
The  best  little  scrub  at  the  side  of  the  rill; 

Be  a  bush  if  you  can't  be  a  tree. 

If  you  can't  be  a  bush,  be  a  bit  of  the  grass, 
Some  highway  to  happier  make, 

If  you  can't  be  a  muskie,  then  just  be  a 
bass — 
But  the  liveliest  bass  in  the  lake! 

We  can't  all  be  captains,  we've  got  to  be 

crew, 

There's  something  for  all  of  us  here; 

There's  big  work  to  do  and  there's  lesser 

to  do, 

And  the  task  we  must  do  is  the  near. 

If  you  can't  be  a  highway,  then  just  be  a 
trail, 
If  you  can't  be  the  sun,  be  a  star; 
It  isn't  by  size  that  you  win  or  you  fail- — ■ 
Be  the  best  of  whatever  you  are. 

■ — Cheer. 

And   you'll   be  facing   life. 


couts 


CAMP 


MORE  than  ten  thousand 
Boy  Scouts  are  registered 
in  the  state  of  Utah  this 
year,  according  to  Associate  Re- 
gional Executive  Oscar  A.  Kirk- 
ham,  whose  field  of  labor  covers 
Utah,  Idaho,  Nevada,  Arizona  and 
California.  And  more  than  fifty 
per  cent  of  Utah's  Scouts  have 
attended  camp  this  year,  many 
councils  having  doubled  their  camp 
enrollment. 

These  two  outstanding  features 
— the  highest  enrollment  in  the 
state  during  Scouting's  existence  in 
Utah,  and  the  largest  number  at 
camp — -contribute  much  to  the 
making  of  Utah  Scouts  into  the 
fine  citizens  and  willing  workers 
they  are,  first  in  ■  excellence  as 
American  Boy  Scouts,  and  first  in 
accomplishments  at  home  and 
abroad  with  regard  to  civic  and 
religious  activities. 

"pOUR   major   camps   have   been 

held  for  Scouts  of  the  state  this 

summer:  The  Timpanogos  camp, 


Day  is  done! 


Salt  Lake  Council  Boy  Scout 
Camp  at  Lake  Ruth 


during  July;  the  Ogden  Gateway 
(or  Camp  Kiesel)  in  Ogden  Can- 
yon, also  in  July;  the  Logan 
Water  Front  camp,  held  at  the 
first  of  Augmst;  and  the  Grand- 
daddy  Lakes  camp  at  Lake  Ruth, 
in  August. 

Each  of  these  camps  had  an  en- 
rollment of  between  700  and  1000 
boys  and  boy  leaders,  and  each 
ran  for  a  period  of  one  to  four 
weeks.  Other  council  camps  of  a 
week's  duration  were  in  operation 
during  the  summer,  and  in  addi- 
tion, about  half  the  Scouts  who 
received  camp  experience  obtained 
it  through  individual  effort,  or  as 
a  troop  activity. 

Thus  more  than  25  per  cent  of 
the  10,153  boys  registered  at  the 
beginning  of  September,  for  Utah, 
had  attended  supervised  council 
camps;  and  another  25  per  cent 
had  hiked  and  camped  "on  their 
own." 


20 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


"Nationally,  last  year,  400,000 
Scouts  were  in  camp,  and  one  of 
the  features  of  the  camping  pro- 
gram was  the  initiation  of  more 
than  23,000  new  Scouts  into  the 
mysteries  of  swimming,  handicraft, 
nature  lore  and  woodcraft,"  ac- 
cording to  Executive  Kirkham. 
"This  year  the  enlarged  camping 
program  has  brought  thousands 
more  into  active,  healthful  out- 
door life  under  the 
Scouting   system. 

"The  value  of  the 
camp  program  lies  in 
the  fact  that  the 
Scoutmaster  is  able  to 
get  near  to  his  boys. 
He  is  able  to  put  over 
the  points  of  the 
Oath  and  Law,  and 
stress  the  character 
formation  values  of 
Scouting."  He  learns 
to  find  God  in  the 
Great  Out  Doors. 

Troop 

HTHAT  the  real  val- 
ues of  Scouting  carry  over  into 
the  lives  of  its  adherents,  is  illus- 
trated  by  the   following   incident 
related  by  Executive  Kirkham: 

"Recently  a  mining  company  sent  a 
check  for  $250  to  the  Scout  council, 
stating  that  up  until  the  organization  of 
a  Scout  troop  in  the  town,  the  company 
had  to  employ  a  watchman  to  keep  boys 
from  breaking  windows,  light  globes  and 
otherwise  injuring  property;  but  since 
the  establishment  of  a  troop  there,  depre- 
dations had  ceased ;  and  therefore,  the 
$25  0  a  month  formerly  used  to  keep  the 
boys  out  of  mischief  could  now  be  used 
to   aid   them   in  their   Scout  program." 

Prior  to  the  Grandaddy  Lakes 
camp,  officials  of  the  Salt  Lake  Boy 
Scout  council  held  a  Scouters' 
training  course  at  Jordan  Park, 
June  26,  27,  29  and  30. 

A  T  this  camp-preparation  course, 
15  sixteen-foot  Indian  tepees 
were  officially  presented  to  the  Salt 
Lake  council  in  recognition  of  its 
drive  to  beautify  Salt  Lake's  vacant 
lots  during  the  Junior  Chamber  of 
Commerce  clean-up,  paint-up  drive 
held  a  short  while  before.  Many  of 
the  boys  have  carried  this  project 
further,  and  have  raised  gardens  of 
flowers  and  vegetables  in  the  for- 
mer vacant  lots,  thus  making  them 
useful  as  well  as  beautiful. 

The  teepee  tent  presentation  was 
made  by  Commissioner  Harry  L. 
Pinch,  and  the  equipment  was  ac- 
cepted by  the  chief  executive  of 
the  council,  D.  E.  Hammond. 
Poles  for  the  tents,  made  of  bird's 


eve  maple  by  forest  rangers  at 
Woodland,  Utah,  also  were  pre- 
sented. The  tepees  formed  the  offi- 
cial tent  equipment  at  Lake  Ruth 
during  the  August  encampment. 

jDOATS  also  were  given  to  the 
Scout  council  for  community 
activity,  and  a  boating  course  was 
introduced  at  the  Jordan  Park 
training  course  by  Blair  Richard- 


58  of  Salt  Lake  enjoying  a  meal  at  Lake  Ruth 


Scouts  join  in  a  game  of  baseball 

son,  who  showed  the  Scouters  how 
to  manipulate  them  on  the  Surplus 
Canal.  These  boats  later  formed 
the  major  part  of  the  Scout  flotilla 
at  the  Granddaddy  Lakes  head- 
quarters. Rafts  made  by  the  boys 
and  their  leaders  filled  out  the 
"fleet." 

One  of  the  visitors  to  the  Lake 
Ruth  camp,  which  began  Aug.  1, 
was  William  B.  Hawkins,  Scout 
executive  of  the  San  Joaquin  Boy 
Scout  council  at  Stockton,  Cal. 
Executive  Hawkins  formerly  was 
an  executive  of  the  Bryce  Canyon 
council,  and  field  executive  for  the 
Salt  Lake  council  before  his  re- 
moval to  the  coast.  It  was  under 
his    direction   in    the   summer    of 


1929,  that  the  first  official  Salt 
Lake  council  camp  was  opened  in 
the  Granddaddy  region. 

Scenes  at  camp  were  filmed  for 
use  in  the  council  during  the  com- 
ing winter,  in  teaching  camp  lore 
to  Scouts  in  the  Mutuals  and 
other  class  rooms. 

PAMP  life  in  general  through 
Utah  is  illustrated  by  the  fol- 
lowing letter  from 
D.  C.  ,Watkins,  Scout 
Executive  of  the 
Eastern  Idaho  Area 
council: 

"Our  council  is  com- 
posed of  all  Southeastern 
Idaho,  part  of  Western 
Wyoming,  and  a  few 
small  villages  in  northern 
Utah.  Our  Scout  popu- 
lation is  1650  Scouts, 
5  85  registered  Scout  lead- 
ers, a  Scout  executive  end 
office    secretary. 

"The  Scout  council  re- 
cently completed  a  five 
weeks'  camping  program 
at  Camp  Tendoy.  The 
enclosed  photos  are  typical 
of  the  Scout  life  at  this  camp.  The  first 
picture  is  one  of  the  Ranstrom  cousins, 
both  Scouts,  who  imitate  the  Arizona 
Wranglers  in  all  of  their  radio  selections. 
These  boys  made  a  hit  at  camp,  and 
their  feature  number  is  "The  Strawberry 
Roan." 

"The  other  picture  is  a  genuine  Scout 
picture,  showing  a  party  of  Scouts  under 
the  leadership  of  Dr.  Ray  J.  Davis,  of 
the  University  of  Idaho,  Southern  Branch, 
which  was  just  leaving  for  an  overnighr 
hike  out  of  camp.  The  picture  shows 
each  boy  with  his  four  blankets  and  rolled 
inside  of  the  blankets  are  his  rations  for 
two  meals;  his  evening  meal  and  his 
breakfast. 

"You  will  note  the  absence  of  cooking 
utensils.  These  boys  cooked  meat,  po- 
tatoes, eggs,  and  baked  bread.  In  fact 
they  prepared  both  meals  mentioned,  with- 
out the  aid  of  any  utensils,  not  even  a 
tin  can  for  drinking  water.  They  made 
their  beds  of  pine  boughs  and  demon- 
strated   Scout    life    in    the    open. 

"Dr.  Davis,  in  his  report,  stated  that 
he  had  never  experienced  such  genuine 
pleasure  as  when  directing  these  boys 
on    this    encampment. 

"The  meat  was  wrapped  in  oil  paper 
and  then  a  thick  coating  of  mud  was 
put  around  the  outside.  The  potatoes 
were  fixed  the  same  way.  and  with  the 
meat,  were  put  into  the  open  coals.  The 
bread  was  mixed  from  flour,  etc..  held  in 
one  hand  and  stirred  with  the  other,  and 
wrapped  on  a  stick  and  cooked  over  the 
coals. 

"For  breakfast  the  eggs  were  also 
wrapped  in  oil  paper,  rolled  in  mud  and 
baked  in  the  fire.  All  of  the  boys  who 
took  these  trips  remembered  this  as  the 
outstanding   feature   of   the   week. 

"To  complete  a  week's  encampment  the 
boy,  thrilled  with  God's  handiwork, 
demonstrated  his  own  by  indulging  in 
leathercraft,  sheet  metal  work,  archery, 
Indian  bead  work,  or  advancing  in  the 
Scout    program    by    the    passing    of    tests. 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


21 


Games,  swimming,  'magic  camp 
fires,'  a  Patrol  Night  with  his 
own  patrol,  etc.,  made_him  real- 
ize that  the  Scout  Oath — 'On 
my  honor  I  will  do  my  duty  to 
God' — was  real;  is  real,  instead 
of  being  just  a  statement. 

"As  the  tears  rolled  down  the 
Scout's  cheeks  Saturday  after- 
noon when  Old  Glory  was  slow- 
ly lowered  for  the  last  time 
during  his  encampment,  he  also 
felt  that  his  duty  to  his  country 
was  real  rather  than  just  a  coc  e 
of  ethics.  Camp  Tendoy  re- 
members these  boys  and  will 
welcome  them  back  another 
year." 

A  N  excerpt  from  a  letter 
written  by  Riley  G. 
Clark,  Scout  executive  of 
the  L.  D.  S.  Swiss-German 
mission,  shows  the  con- 
trasting conditions  under 
which  German  speaking 
boys  met  in  camp  recently 
in  the  Harz  mountains: 

"In      attendance      were      42 
Scouts,    representing    more    than 
500  persons  in  all  parts  of  Ger- 
many.     Many   came  on  bicycles 


Scout  training  course  in  building  airplanes 


from  Bremen,  Hanover,  Berlin,  Dresden 
and  Breslau.  The  entire  group  was  from 
poor  families,  but  they  love  Scouting 
enough  to  scrimp  and  save  for  months, 
to  attend  camp.  Once  there  they  literally 
gleaned  ideas  to  carry  back  to  those  not 
fortunate  enough  to  come. 

"These  Scouts  enjoyed  sleeping  in  the 
open  under  the  great  blue  heavens,  just 
as  we  do  in  Utah.  They  relished  the 
American  campfire  food  we  prepared  for 
them.  Scout  yells  thrilled  them.  At  the 
camp  some  of  the  boys  saw  their  first 
campfire,  and  for  the  first  time  partook 
of  the  spirit  that  radiates  from  a  group 
of  Scouts  in  •  such  a  sacred  place  at  such 
a  sacred  time.  They  went  from  our 
camp  with  such  an  intense  spirit  of  en- 
thusiasm for  the  work  that  I  know  it 
has  been  a  milestone  in  the  history  of 
Scouting   in  Germany. 

"Political  conditions  have  become  so 
bad  at  times  in  certain  localities  that  Scouts 
could  not  wear  their  uniforms  to  meetings 
or  on  the  streets,  for  fear  of  mobs  mis- 
taking   them    for   members    of    some    rival 


political  party,  and  shooting  them  or 
beating  them  to  death. 

"It  is  seldom  that  we  are  allowed  to 
build  fires  to  cook  on.  In  some  regions 
it  is  not  allowed.  The  Scouts  have  to 
carry  a  gas  cooker  or  take  cold  food. 

"But  we  have  boys  who  are  in  every 
sense  of  the  word  Scouts.  They  do 
everything  in  their  power  to  put  the 
program  over,  in  spite  of  all  difficulties. 
We  are  making  progress  in  Scouting. 
We  wish  to  send  greetings  to  our  fellow 
Scouts  in  Utah  and  surrounding  places, 
and  also  an  invitation  to  correspond. 
Write  the  Scout  Department,  Swiss-Ger- 
man Mission,  Basel,  Switzerland,  Leimen- 
strasse  49." 

QAMP  KIESEL,  Boy  Scout 
camp  of  the  Ogden  Gateway 
district,  was  operated  under  a  new 
plan  this  season,  according  to  Scout 
Executive  S.  Dinsworth  Young. 
In  the  past  the  camp  has  been  in 
charge    of   a    camp    director    with 


These  boys  of  Troop  22,  Salt  Lake  council, 
turned  last  spring's  clean-up  drive  into  a  beau- 
tification  plan.  Not  only  did  they  clean  this 
vacant  lot,  but  planted  it  to  all  kinds  of  vege- 
tables. Four  of  them  (from  left  to  right): 
Allen  Lundgren,  George  Vigos,  James  Vigos 
and  Von  Young  are  shown  holding  on  to  the 
ears  of  the  corn.  Part  of  the  crops  were  sold 
to  pay  for  seeding  the  empty  plot. 

Scouts  from  various  troops  attend- 
ing as  a  single  unit. 

Under  the  new  plan,  although 
several  troops  were  at  the  camp 
at  the  same  time,  each  troop  re- 
mained a  separate  and  distinct  unit 
under  its  own  troop  leader.  Each 
troop  prepared  its  own  food  and 
had  its  own  equipment. 

A  new  flag  was  presented  to  the 
camp  by  the  Ogden  State  bank, 
at  colorful  exercises  July  19. 
Scouts,  their  parents,  jbank  and 
Scout  officials  attended  the  cere- 
mony. A.  P.  Bigelow,  president 
of  the  bank,  made  the  presentation, 
and  W.  W.  Rawson,  president  of 
the  Ogden  council,  responded. 

Forty  students  of  the  State  In- 

(Continued   on  page   30) 


Many  of  the  Scouts  took   indi- 
vidual hikes 


M, 


IVlachi 

MADE? 


an  or 


ii. 

A  FEW  years  ago  most  of  the 
smaller  hotels  employed  a 
dinner  orchestra  of  several 
players.    Today  the  "Little  Brown 
Boxes"  and  chain  programs  flood 
thousands  of  smaller  hotel  dining 
rooms,  lobbies  and  private  rooms 
with    music    produced    by   ilarger, 
better  playing  groups  of  musicians. 
And  the  end  is  not  yet,  since  the 
local    broadcasting    stations,     em- 
ploying local  musicians,  must  com- 
pete with  the  big  chains  in  New 
York.     The  broadcasting  chain  is 
simply  another  expression  of  mass 
distribution,  comparable  with  the 
dry    goods,    grocery,    drug    store, 
cigar  store  and  other  chains.     May 
this  mean,  at  last,  that  supermen 
will  once  more  control  humanity 
by  means  of  newer,  if  more  suit- 
able, "chains?"     It  is  a  grave  and 
vital  question. 

'The  Survival  of  the  Fittest"  is 
a  universal  law  and  there  is  no  rea- 
son to  believe  that  producers  or 
performers  of  music  shall  be  im- 
mune from  its  consequences.  It- 
seems  possible  to  say  with  certain- 
ty that  the  world  will  no  longer 
tolerate  mediocre  performance, 
either  in  sports  or  in  the  arts.  At 
least  it  will  not  pay  to  see  or  hear 
second  raters,  local  amateurs  ex- 
cepted. 


By 

Paul  J.  Weaver 


Editors'  Note: 

Used  by  special  permission  of  Paul  J. 
Weaver,  editor  Journal  of  Proceedings 
of  the  Music  Supervisors  National  Con- 
ference. 


Does  this  mean  that,  henceforth, 
music  as  a  profession  or  a  vocation 
will  be  limited  to  a  handful  of 
geniuses  because  they  can  bring 
their  art  to  millions  upon  millions 
at  one  time?  There  is  no  longer 
any  room  for  poor  professionals. 
These  will  have  to  be  satisfied  to 
remain  amateurs. 


pHE  handwriting  is  upon  the 
wall:  "Thou  hast  been  weighed 
and  found  wanting!"  The  me- 
diocre artist  no  longer  has  a  public. 
Concert  Bureaus,  Lyceums,  Chau- 
tauquas  are  vanishing.  Only  gen- 
uine virtuoso-artists  of  internation- 
al renown  will  draw  paying  au- 
diences today.  It  would  appear  that 
these,  like  the  movie  stars,  will  re- 
ceive huge  salaries,  while  the  small- 
town actor  will  disappear  from  the 
scene.  Indeed,  John  MacCormack 
and  Lawrence  Tibbet,  Dennis  King 
and  Marylin  Miller,  today  are  the 
forerunners  of  this  new  era  in  mu- 
sic. 


PHIS  applies  also  to  untalented, 
untrained  music  teachers.  They 
will  have  to  yield,  in  turn,  to  the 
modern,  highly  trained  and  gifted 
specialists — teachers  of  music  who 
know  how  to  teach  music  to 
groups  as  all  other  instruction  is 
now  administered.  Mass  instruc- 
tion is  the  inevitable  answer  in  this 
modern  age!  Most  people  will  no 
longer  pay  large  fees  for  private 
music  lessons  for  children  when  the 
radio  gives  them  the  world's  best 
music  immediately  and  with  no 
effort,  and  at  a  minimum  of  ex- 
pense. 

Indeed,  why  should  private  in- 
struction in  music  prevail  when  all 
other  school  subjects,  some  two 
hundred  and  fifty,  are  taught  in 
classes?  In  my  own  boyhood, 
young  men  were  still  bound  as  ap- 
prentices to  the  village  blacksmith, 
carpenter,  shoemaker,  tailor,  or 
baker.  Today,  all  trades  are  taught 
in  trade,  technical  and  vocational 
schools.  Then,  one  studied  medi- 
cine, privately,  in  the  local  doctor's 
office,  law  in  the  lawyer's  office, 
and  the  barber  "practiced"  den- 
tistry! Today,  professional  schools 
only  are  permitted  to  give  training 
in  law,  medicine,  and  dentistry  and 
even    the    barber    can    practice    his 


profession  only  after  securing  a 
proper  license.  Surely,  when  the 
mastery  of  life  and  death,  momen- 
tous matters  of  property  rights  and 
justice  can  be  taught  in  classes,  mu- 
sic can  not  longer  hope  to  remain 
the  exception.  All  the  other  arts 
have  long  been  so  taught. 

The  economic  law  applies  here 
also.  The  public  is  rapidly  settling 
this  subject  for  itself.  Now  that 
the  universal  hunger  for  music  is 
satisfied  by  the  talking-singing-act- 
ing-screen, the  phonograph  and  the 
radio  at  less  cost  in  time,  money 
and  effort,  the  public  buys  movie 
and  radio  entertainment  instead  of 
pianos  and  private  music  lessons.  In 
my  own  youth  we  could  have  mu- 
sic at  home  only  if  we  made  it 
ourselves,  just  as  we  produced  most 
of  the  other  things  we  consumed. 
That  was  home-made  music — 
home-made  by  necessity.  No  one 
would  contend  that  a  similar  ne- 
cessity exists  today,  although  I 
shall  try  to  show  that  possibly 
another  and  perhaps  greater,  more 
vital  reason  should  make  us  en- 
courage home-made  music  now  as 
never  before. 

DUT  first,  let  us  see  if  there  are 
still  other  factors  in  this  mu- 
sical dilemma.  I  think  we  shall  find 
them  in  our  limited  family  budgets 
and  in  our- unlimited  desires,  cre- 
ated by  the  modern  sciences  of  in- 
vention,  high-power  salesmanship 
and  advertising.      It  is  safe  to  say 
that  the  average  American  family 
has  less  than  twenty-four  hundred 
a  year  to  spend.     Four  out  of  five 
families    have    less    than    eighteen 
hundred,  since  the  average  annual 
per  capita    income  in  the    United 
States    is    only    six-hundred    and 
twenty-three  dollars.    Food,  cloth- 
ing    and     shelter     consume     the 
bulk  of  this  income.     Nearly  every 
family    today    has    a    car — many 
have  two  cars.      The  average  an- 
nual overhead  and  maintenance  of 
an  auto  is  over  five  hundred  dollars. 
The  hallmark  of  social  distinction 
is  no  longer  "the  piano  in  the  par- 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


23 


lor" — it  is  the  "sedan  at  the  side- 
walk!" 

Now,  every  house-wife  wants 
an  electric  refrigerator,  washer  ana 
mangle;  fathers  tire  of  stoking 
furnaces  and  yearn  for  automatic 
oil  burners.  The  average  Amer- 
ican family  spends  several  times 
more  each  week  for  movies  than 
they  ever  paid  the  music  teacher. 
Modern  advertising  whets  the  de- 
sire for  dozens  of  new  devices  and 
luxuries  that  give  immediate  satis- 
faction to  comfort  and  pride. 

pARENTS  do  still  take  pride  in 
the  accomplishments  of  their 
offspring;  but  silent  pianos  in 
neighbors'  homes  testify  all  too 
eloquently  to  the  uncertainty  of 
getting  enjoyable  musical  entertain- 
ment by  the  good,  old,  home-made 
methods.  And  so,  in  four  out  of 
five  homes,  the  new  car,  the  re- 
frigerator, the  oil  iburner  and  the 
radio  get  first  consideration.  The 
purchase  of  a  piano  and  investment 
in  music  lessons  is  postponed. 
Limited  incomes  necessitate  choices 
and  subsequent  sacrifices.  Con- 
sequently, those  products  and 
services  that  guarantee  imme- 
diate satisfaction  of  pride,  comfort, 
convenience  or  entertainment  are 
chosen.  Will  home-made  music 
soon  be  going  into  the  gallery  of 
"lost  arts?" 

If  further  proof  is  needed,  let  me 
remind  you  that  the  consumption 
of    electric    power    doubled    from 

1922  to  1927.  The  registration 
of  motor  cars  doubled  from  1922 
to  1927.  Motion  picture  reports 
for  these  years  are  not  available, 
but    the    business    doubled    from 

1923  to  1925,  and  that  was  be- 
fore the  "Talkies."  The  sale  of 
the  piano — the  "basic,"  universal 
home  instrument — declined  seven- 
ty-five per  cent  from  1924  to 
1929.  These  are  Government  re- 
ports.    What  more  can  be  said? 

\\7"E  come  now  to  the  possible 
solution  of  the  question  of  the 
new  era  of  leisure — -made  possible, 
yes,  inevitable,  by  the  machine.  It 
is  obvious,  is  it  not,  that,  when 
machines  replace  man-power,  men 
must  seek  other  vocations  or  work 
fewer  hours?  "Over-production" 
is  the  by-word,  the  key-note,  to- 
day, of  every  economist,  sociologist 
and  politician.  We  hear  of  over- 
production on  the  farm,  in  the 
mine,  in  the  factory.  Three  million 
workers,  one  in  ten,  are  out  of 
work  today.     Already  the  six-day 


week,  ten-hour  day,  universal 
when  I  was  a  lad,  has  diminished 
to  the  five-day  week  and  the  six- 
hour  day.  Economists  predict  a 
five-hour  day  in  the  near  future. 
It  is  here  now  in  the  building 
trades. 

What  is  humanity  to  do  with 
this  new-found  leisure?  What  will 
be  the  leisure-time  reactions  of  the 
mechanised  automaton  who  is  no 
longer  required  to  think?  All  he 
does  is  press  levers  and  push  but- 
tons! Do  you  wonder  that  this 
world  is  pleasure-mad,  thrill-chas- 
ing, excitement-crazed  as  the  nor- 
mal reaction  to  the  monotony  of 
the  machine?  How  can  it  tolerate 
also  the  monotony  of  a  loafing 
leisure? 

"Satan  finds  mischief  still  for 
idle  hands  to  do"  runs  the  saying. 
Is  it  possible  that,  in  the  Machine, 
man  has  created  a  Franckenstein 
monster  that  will  slay  his  offspring 
in  the  end?  Is  it  likely  that  "The 
Robot's  '11  get  you,  ef  you  don't 
watch  out?" 

/^RIME,  today,  is  said  to  exact 
a  toll  exceeding  one-eighth  of 
our  total  annual  income!  In  Il- 
linois, the  prison  population  has 
increased  eight  times  faster  in  the 
past  three  years  than  the  outside 
population!  Some  statistician 
might  figure  out  how  long,  at  that 
rate,  it  will  be  before  we're  all  in 
jail! 

Thorndike,  of  Columbia  Uni- 
versity, in  his  latest  researches  has 
uncovered  a  new  world  of  possi- 
bilities in  the  field  of  adult  educa- 
tion. He  finds  that  adults,  with 
but  slightly  increased  effort,  can 
learn  many  of  the  skills  and  sub- 


jects once  considered  attainable 
only  in  early  youth.  Colleges, 
high  school  and.  continuation 
schools  are  experimenting  along 
this  line.  Surely,  there  is  no  more 
crying  need,  because  this  new  era 
of  leisure  presents  new  responsibili- 
ties, new  opportunities  in  education 
for  a  fuller,  richer  life.  In  this  new 
era,  our  education  need  never  end! 
We  shall  have  the  time  to  explore 
new  fields  of  knowledge,  to  culti- 
vate our  aesthetic  instincts,  to  de- 
velop new  skills,  new  apprecia- 
tions! All  we  need  is  the  inclina- 
tion— the  divine,  cosmic  urge — the 
will  to  let  the  spirit  soar! 

EDUCATIONAL  psychologists 
are  exploring  new  depths  in 
human  behavior.  They  are  prob- 
ing into  the  secrets  of  the  emotions. 
They  find  that  it  is  our  emotions, 
rather  than  our  intellects,  that  de- 
termine our  acts.  We  act  according 
to  the  way  we  feel,  not,  frequently, 
as  reason  dictates.  Curriculum  ex- 
perts and  administrative  officials  see 
the  vital  need,  therefore,  of  train- 
ing the  emotions  and  the  aesthetic 
instincts. 

If  music  be  the  language  of  feel- 
ing, the  vehicle  of  the  emotions, 
why  not  give  more  thought,  more 
time,  more  equipment,  greater  aca- 
demic recognition  and  prestige  to 
this,  the  greatest  of  arts?  Already 
traditions  are  crumbling  in  college 
circles,  due  to  the  exposed  fallacy 
of  the  faculty — psychology,  the- 
ory, the  triumph  of  functional- 
psychology  and  the  new  concepts 
of  behaviorism.  Pragmatic  phil- 
osophy is  displacing  speculative 
philosophy.  Our  own  William 
James  and  John  Dewey  lead  the 
world  in  this  newer  conception. 
The  words  of  President  Eliot  that 
"Music  is  the  greatest  mind  train- 
er on  the  list"  have  rung  through 
our  academic  corridors.  The  mills 
of  the  gods  grind  slowly,  but  they 
grind  exceeding  fine! 

HPHE  1928  Report  of  the  Na- 
tional Bureau  of  Education 
shows  that  high  school  students 
enrolled  in  Latin  decreased  from 
50%  in  1905  to  22%  in  1928; 
students  enrolled  in  algebra  de- 
creased from  57%  in  1910  to 
35%  in  1928;  in  science  from 
82%  in  1910  to  61%  in  1928. 
This  denotes  a  diminishing  em- 
phasis upon  traditional  subjects. 
In  art,  the  enrollment  increased 
from  14%  in  1922  to  18%  in 
1928.  In  vocal  music  a  slight  de- 
{Contined  on   page   51) 


upporting 


.      By 

Alberta 

Huish 

Christensen 


At  nine  o'clock  Gloria  ivas  impatiently  thumbing 
a    magazine. 


Illustrated  by 

PAUL  S.  CLOWES 


T 


HE  role  of  mar- 
ried 'grad',"  Nell  had  often  said, 
lifting  her  blond  brows  dramatic- 
ally, "is  one — if  ever  there  was 
one — which  needs  bolstering." 

If  Gloria  Brent  was  of  the  same 
opinion,  she  had  never  said  so. 
The  two  girls  living  amiably  in 
adjoining  apartments  had  never 
discussed  the  matter.  Both  were 
wives  of  graduate  students  and 
living  on — oh,  what  does  it  mat- 
ter— so  little  that  it  takes  one's 
breath  away  just  to  think  of  it. 
And  common  interests  had  bound 
them  together  with  a  warm  tie  of 
understanding. 


Perhaps  such  an  idea  did  lie 
dormant  somewhere  in  Gloria's 
brain,  perfectly  conscious  of  its 
own  existence,  though  undis- 
turbed, unformulated  until  that 
night  in  late  May. 


Gi 


rLORIA  glanced  hur- 
riedly at  the  alarm  clock  on  the 
oilcloth  covered  shelf  above  the 
sink. 

[Editor's  Note:  In  our  short 
story  contest,  the  prize  offered  for 
the  best  story  by  an  author  whose 
stories  have  never  appeared  in  print 
was  awarded  to  Alberta  Huish 
Christensen.] 


"Orange  juice  time,  young 
man,"  and  "Num-num,"  she  ad- 
ded with  a  grimmace  as  she  dump- 
ed the  brimming  spoon  of  cod- 
liver  oil  into  the  nursery  mug. 

Jim  Junior  showed  little  in- 
terest in  the  performance,  but  con- 
tinued to  run  his  chubby  fore- 
finger across  the  tray  of  his  un- 
painted  high  chair. 

"Num-num,"  Gloria  repeated, 
bringing  the  cup  nearer  to  his  lips. 
"Junior  Brent,  you  simply  must 
take  it  at  once.  With  Saturday 
and  washing  I've  no  time  to  dal- 

Junior  gulped  the  vitamined 
draught  and  Gloria  dabbed  at  his 
oily  chin  with  a  corner  of  his  bib. 
She   pecked   a    hurried    kiss    upon 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


25 


his  round  hairless  head,  and,  ad- 
justing the  covers  of  his  crib, 
pushed  it  near  the  bedroom  win- 
dow. "Sleep  time,  you  dear,"  and 
the  door  was  closed  behind  her. 

W  I  T  H  systematic 
movements,  result  of  much  experi- 
ence, she  continued  the  laundry 
processes  until  the  last  clean, 
wrung  clothes  were  piled  high  in 
the  basket.  Wiping  the  beads  of 
perspiration  from  temples  and  chin 
she  balanced  the  basket  upon  the 
high  railing  and  stood  for  a  mo- 
ment on  the  diminutive  porch, 
large  enough  to  accommodate  little 
more  than  the  garbage  can. 

What  a  day  it  was!  Beautifully 
clear,  with  no  mist  diffusing  the 
ragged  sky  line  across  the  water. 
She  could  even  see  up  Market  Street 
quite  plainly  on  such  a  day.  Funny 
she  had  never  noticed  before  that 
Goat  Island  loomed  so  darkly 
against  a  silver-blue  sky. 

"Oh  Nell,"  she  called  descend- 
ing the  long  narrow  steps. 

Nell,  blond  and  colorfully 
smocked,  appeared  on  the  porch  at 
the  other  end  of  the  apartment 
house. 

"Washing  today?" 

"Goodness  :no,"  from  Nell  em- 
phatically. "Didn't  you  see  the 
lines  I  filled  yesterday?" 

"Well  then  I'll  use  your  front 
one.  I've  more  things  than  usual." 

"Some  early  bird  you  are,"  Nell 
said  as  she  descended  the  steps  and 
surveyed  the  lines  of  dripping  gar- 
ments. 

Gloria's  face  brightened.  "Had 
to.  I  had  some  little  extras  to  do 
today.  In  fact  it's  rather  a  special 
day."  Then  walking  nearer,  that 
the  occupant  of  apartment  2  could 
by  no  chance  overhear,  she  asked, 
"can  you  smell  it?" 

"Grand.  It's  acacia  blooms, 
and  have  you  seen  the  campus  late- 
ly?" 

"Bother,  it's  not  spring  air  I'm 
talking  about."  Gloria's  lips  wid- 
ened whimsically,  "its  chicken, 
really." 

"Extravagant!" 

NOW  Gloria  Brent 
had  never  known  even  the  small- 
est measure  of  extravagance.  Her 
own  home  had  of  necessity  been 
managed  upon  lines  of  moderate 
economy.  After  her  college  gradu- 
ation came  marriage,  and  then  the 
school-game  had  begun.  She  won- 


dered just  when  it  really  was 
that  she  began  budgeting  or  re- 
modeling clothes  of  indefinite  age. 
On  matters  of  such  longevity  her 
memory  was  not  too  clear.  It  was 
rather  nice  to  be  called  a  spend- 
thrift. 

"Listen,"  she  admitted  present- 
ly, as  if  a  frugal  conscience  could 
not  longer  stand  such  accusation, 
"Saturday  night  I  added  up  the 
groceries  and  what  do  you  know? 
We  were  six  dollars  ahead  of 
schedule." 

"Really!" 

"Really."  Gloria  went  on.  "I 
guess  it's  the  canned  goods  sale. 
Anyway  I  decided  to  celebrate — 
surprise  Jim  tonight.  Guess  how 
long  we've  been  married." 

"Why,  it's  your  wedding  day! 
You  look  young  enough,  Gloria, 
to  be  only  a  Soph." 

"Applesauce!"  It  wasn't  true. 
Gloria  knew  she  looked  every  day 
of  her  twenty-six  years.  But  she 
also  knew  that  her  pink  cheeks 
were  still  smooth  and  her  figure 
was  girlishly  slender. 

"Three  years  today.  It  doesn't 
seem  possible  and  yet,  Nell,  it 
sometimes  seems  that  Jim's  been 
going  to  college  for  ages.  It  seems 
so  long  since  that  night.  The  moon 
was  awfully  big  and  oh  it  spark- 


Jim's  face  was  radi- 
ant, "Can't  imagine 
how  he  limbered  up 
to  such  a  salary. 
Things  must  be  boom- 
ing   back    there." 


led."  She  unconsciously  rubbed 
the  glistening  diamond  upon  her 
sleeve. 

"Yes,  three  years,"  Gloria  re- 
peated almost  langourously.  There 
had  been  that  first  year  of  teaching 
in  a  small  western  town  right 
after  graduation,  and  then  two 
years  more  of  college — two  years 
of  graduate  work  at  the  university. 

"That's  right,"  Nell  said,  "one 
more  year  and  you  folks  can  frame 
the  sheepskin,  wear  it  on  your 
backs  if  you  want  to.  Doesn't 
that  sound  grand!" 

Gloria  nodded. 

"And  when  we  get  to  that  point 
Nell,  with  all  the  molecules,  atoms 
and  electrons  chucked  safely  be- 
hind us,  with  only  the  last  flour- 
ishes to  do,  I'll  be  so  thrilled  I'll 
serve  chicken  every  day  for  weeks. 
Not  chopped  meat,  or  teensy  wee 
pot  roasts,  but  big,  juicy, chickens, 
— honest  I  will." 

"You  little  spendthrift!" 
"Really  I  will,"  Gloria  an- 
swered without  the  slightest 
thought  as  to  what  she  was  actual- 
ly saying.  "With  scrimping  and 
scheming  all  behind  and  thoughts 
of  a  real  salary  ahead,  who 
wouldn't,  Nell,  who  wouldn't?" 

'You  and  Jim  are  so  young, 
you  can  soon  make  up  for  the 
lean  years,"  Nell  said  encourag- 
ingly.     "And  with    your    teach- 

ft 

rag— 

"Course  that  does  help  a  lot, 
even  with  paying  Ella." 

iL/LhA  was  the  very 
round  and  tied-in-the  middle  girl 
who  lumped  up  the  front  steps 
each  morning  at  nine  and  lumped 
down  the  front  steps  each  after- 
noon at  five.  It  was  she,  who,  fol- 
lowing detailed  instructions,  help- 
ed the  well  cooked  cereal  to  dis- 
appear, saw  that  no  pins  or  but- 
tons found  their  way  to  Junior 
Brent's  avid  lips,  and  took  him 
for  his  daily  sunning  in  the  back 
yard. 

"I'll  send  you  in  a  leg  just  to 
nibble  on,"  Gloria  said,  tiptoeing 
to  hang  the  last  shirt  upon  the 
line. 

"Don't  you  do  anything  of  the 
sort,"  Nell  protested,  "there  won't 
be  enough,  honey." 

"Sure  there  will,  it's  a  big  one. 
Positively  a  beauty." 

Gloria  scarcely  knew  where  the 
day  went.  The  hours  of  her  one 
(Continued  on  page  56) 


A  Daughter  of 

Mart/ia 


Gloria  distinct- 
ly heard  the 
heavy,  reverberat- 
ing thunder  of  a 
snow  slide  in 
Cripple  Creek 
Canyon. 


By 
Ivy  Williams  Stone 


E 


Chapter  Four 


Illustrated  by 
Paul  S.  Clowes 


(VER  since  Gloria's  marriage, 
Anna  had  been  a  puzzle  to  her.  Some  strange 
malady  had  retarded  her  growth.  Certain  foods 
disturbed  her;  Jonas  thought  it  was  because  she 
had  drunk  a  can  of  lye  when  she  was  beginning  to 
crawl.  Still,  even  his  memory  was  vague.  When 
a  man  runs  a  sawmill  and  a  store  and  a  farm  and 
writes  poetry  and  studies  law,  there  is  no  leisure 
to  study  the  whims  of  a  baby.  Left  to  herself, 
Anna  was  self-entertaining  and  mild.  But  when 
her  plans  were  disturbed,  her  frail  body  shook 
with  unrestrained  rage.  Everyone  had  learned 
that  it  was  better  to  leave  her  rabbits  and  pet 
chickens  alone. 

The  whole  family  were  accustomed  to  her 
wanderings.  She  would  disappear  in  the  morning 
and  seldom  return  before  dark.  She  ignored  their 
calls;  resented  their  interference.  She  built  little 
castles  along  the  creek  bank,  dug  small  caves  in 
the  hill-side.  Here  she  carried  and  stored  her 
treasures.  She  knew  the  call  of  all  the  birds;  she 
had  cared  for  a  crippled  magpie  and  taught  it  to 
speak  a  few  words.  She  would  not  learn  house- 
hold tasks;  Gloria  could  not  even  trust  her  with 
the  care  of  the  baby.  Though  the  creek  was  often 
swollen,  Anna  could  always  cross  ,it.  She  could 
bridle  a  fractious  colt  when  the  hired  man  failed. 
She  possessed  a  direct  unswerving  gaze  which 
worried  many  people.  She  would  sit  at  Aunt 
Catherine's  feet,  while  Victoria  combed  her  hair, 
and  stare  and  stare,  until  that  worthy  lady  lost 
her  complacency. 

"I  declare,  Gloria,"  Aunt  Catherine  fidgeted 
uneasily  in  her  chair,  "there's  something  uncanny 
about  that  child.  You  know,  all  great  people 
dislike  to  be  stared  at.  Caesar  was  that  way  about 
Cassius.  When  King  George  came  to  visit  my 
father  he  said,  'Have  no  silent  men  about  me. 
Make  them  laugh'.     Anna  never  laughs." 

Anna  remained  complacent.  She  came  and 
went  at  her  own  bidding.  Francis  had  been  kind 
to  her  and  she  missed  him.  Now  she  sought 
other  diversion  and  wandered  farther  into  the 
hills.  She  had  often  carried  food  and  water  to 
her  creek  castles,  or  to  a  wounded  pet.     Now  day 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


27 


after  day  she  disappeared  immedi- 
ately after  breakfast,  with  a  bucket 
so  heavily  weighted  with  bran 
mash  that  her  frail  body  bent  to 
the  load.  She  made  a  circuitous 
route,  lest  someone  follow  her.  She 
answered  their  repeated  questions 
with  a  blank  stare,  from  which 
there  was  no  appeal.  She  returned 
at  dark,  ate  a  slight  meal,  smiled 
at  Gloria  who  never  scolded  her, 
and  slept  peacefully  until  morning. 
The  next  day  she  would  start  off  as 
before.     If  Peter  followed,  she  sent 

him  home. 

*      *      * 


L< 


/OTT   GAS  COM 

had  no  ambitions  about  a  beauti- 
ful home  or  education  for  Lulu. 
She  was  sixteen  and  should  soon 
marry.  He  felt  certain  that  even 
her  slattern  beauty  would  soon  at- 
tract a  husband.  So  long  as  he 
could  fence  in  public  lands  for  free 
pasture  he  had  been  content.  But 
he  had  a  fine  herd  of  cattle  which 
he  prized  highly.  A  pedigreed 
Jersey  which  he  had  named  Gen- 
eral Grant  was  his  special  pride. 
Shortly  after  Francis  Conrad  went 
home,  General  Grant  disappeared. 
Lott  immediately  felt  that  the 
Whitmans  had  retaliated,  and 
that   Grant    would   return.      The 


days  passed  however,  and  there 
was  no  trace  of  the  lost  animal. 
Lott  rode  the  range  for  miles 
around;  he  visited  the  Whitman 
corrals  at  night,  stealthily,  hoping 
to  find  his  treasure.  Growing  bold 
with  worry,  he  finally  came  to 
the  ranch  with  his  troubles. 

"Meester  Wheetman,"  he  began, 
fawningly,  knowing  well  that  he 
deserved  much  rebuke,  "you  have 
had  your  leetle  joke.  It  is  plenty. 
I  am  that  cured.  I  kill  my  dogs, 
but  still  my  General  Grant  is  gone. 
I  want  heem." 

"We  haven't  seen  your  Jersey, 
Lott,"  Jonas  Whitman  still  felt 
that  the  desired  land  had  squared 
his  score  with  Lott.  "I  hope  you 
find  him,  but  we  have  not  seen 
him." 

"I  love  heem  like  a  babee.  I 
look  everywhere,  but  he  is  not.  I 
love  heem  like  Lulu.  Lulu  and 
Grant  are  my  loves." 

Here  Rodney  interrupted.  "I 
tell  you  we  haven't  seen  your  old 
Jersey.  Can't  help  it  if  he  did 
cost  five  hundred.  Guess  he's 
strayed  off  and  died." 

Lott  turned  white.  "I  will  give 
to  anybody  that  finds  heem  ten 
dollars.  Six  hundred  I  pay  for 
heem." 

Rodney  looked  interested.     Ten 


dollars  would  buy  several  things 
which  he  coveted.  If  he  just  had 
to  ride,  if  he  did  not  have  to  work, 
like  hoeing  or  milking,  it  wouldn't 
be   so   bad. 


T 


HE  lost  General 
Grant  had  been  a  perfectly  colored 
Jersey.  He  had  no  distinguishing 
marks.  The  pale  tan  would  be 
difficult  to  see  against  oak  brush 
or  hill-side.  Still,  it  was  worth 
trying.  When  Anna  came  home, 
carrying  an  empty  mash  bucket, 
Rodney  had  a  sudden  inspiration. 
He  waited  until  she  slept,  then  he 
carefully  examined  her  bucket.  A 
little  tuft  of  pale  tan  hair  was 
clinging  to  the  hinge  of  the  pail. 
With  a  knowing  smile  he  felt  that 
the  ten  dollars  would  be  easily 
earned. 

The  next  day  he  asked  Anna  no 
questions.  He  ignored  her  prep- 
arations, kept  seemingly  busy  with 
work  on  his  homestead  machinery. 
But  as  soon  as  she  was  out  of  sight 
he  followed  her  on  foot,  carefully 
keeping  out  of  the  beaten  trail, 
hiding  behind  pak  brush  iand  sage 
when  she  stopped  to  rest. 

By  a  circuitous  route  Anna  ar- 
rived at  the  top  of  Cripple  Creek 
Canyon.  At  the  point  where  Jonas 
diverted  the  waters  for  his  ranch, 


Bruce's  brave  front  gave  away  at  this  point  and  one  of  the  hired  men  took  up  the  story. 


28 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November  f  1931 


a  spring  flood  had  once  washed 
a  considerable  hole  in  a  clay  hill- 
side. Here  Anna  stopped,  sat  and 
rested.  Soon  she  cupped  her  hands 
and  emitted  a  long  drawn, 
"MOO!" 


father  had  written  that  a  diamond, 
weighing  280  carats  had  been  dug 
from  the  blue  soil — down  in  a 
mine,  not  in  a  river  bed.  They 
called  it  "Tiffany  Yellow."  Surely 
the   world   was   full    of   wonders. 


Mi 


.UCH  to  the  surprise 
of  her  brother  a  sound,  similar 
in  accent  but  mournful  and  long 
drawn,  answered  her.  Anna 
smiled,  picked  up  her  bucket  and 
entered  the  washout.  Rodney  fol- 
lowed her  and  stood  spellbound 
as  he  watched  his  sister.  At  the 
bottom  of  the  wash  lay  the  pros- 
trate General  Grant.  Anna  raised 
his  head  and  fed  him  from  the 
bucket  of  mash.  This  formidable 
animal  that  had  inspired  a  fear- 
some respect  all  last  summer,  that 
had  required  a  heavy  barbed  en- 
closure, was  gratefully  accepting 
the  ministrations  of  the  little  girl. 
And  to  render  this  service,  Anna 
carried  a  heavy  bucket  for  three 
miles.  Bruce  saw  that  General 
Grant  had  broken  his  leg  in  the 
fall.  While  Lott  had  scoured  the 
countryside  for  miles,  the  weak- 
ened animal  had  lain  less  than  a 
quarter  mile  from  his  own  door. 

Lott  Gascom's  eyes  filled  with 
rage  when  he  learned  of  the  where- 
abouts of  his  valuable  Jersey. 

"He  like  to  be  dead!"  cried  Lott, 
"For  what  can  I  use  him  now! 
I  have  to  shoot  heem — there  where 
he  be.     The  hole  is  his  grave." 


J, 


T 


HAT  night  Gloria 
soaked  the  laundry  in  the  tubs. 
Jonas  had  purchased  a  washing 
machine.  You  pushed  a  half  wheel 
far  over  one  way  and  pulled  it 
back.  It  revolved  a  wooden  dolly 
in  the  tub.  It  was  marvelous. 
With  store  soap,  washing  was  now 
a  simple  task,  if  you  soaked  the 
clothes  overnight.  Jonas  was  al- 
ways kind,  when  he  remembered. 
While  she  hurried  with  the  dishes, 
watching  the  lamp  where  the  oil 
was  low,  Jonas  read  aloud  of  a 
marvelous  new  invention.  Some 
man  back  east,  named  Edison,  had 
tinkered  ;with  electricity  until  he 
had  invented  a  lamp  that  needed 
no  coal  oil,  or  matches,  or  gas. 
You  turned  a  switch  and  light 
came  into  a  little  glass  vacuum. 
It  was  called  carbon  incandescent, 
Gloria  said  the  two  words  over 
and  over  to  herself,  as  she  mixed 
the  bread  and  sliced  the  bacon  and 
set  the  mush  to  soak.     And  her 


ONAS  went  to  bed, 
leaving  her  to  follow  when  her 
tasks  were  finished.  iShe  worked 
more  slowly  now,  felt  too  heavy 
for  rapid  movements.  Little  Nancy 
was  two.  As  she  poured  the  last 
water  over  the  tubs,  there  came 
upon  the  silence  the  unmistakable 
sound  of  horses'  hoofs.  A  queer, 
scraping  sound  accompanied  them. 
Not  the  creak  of  a  wagon,  but  a 
dragging  sound.  Their  private 
road  led  to  the  main  road,  and 
sometimes  people  used  it  in  the 
daytime.  But  never  before  at  night. 
Hastily  Gloria  put  out  the  light 
and  cupped  her  hands  against  the 
window.  A  flat  sled  was  being 
dragged  by  four  straining  horses. 
A  large  round  mass  lay  on  the 
sled.  Gloria  recognized  the  man 
who  walked  along  jby  the  horses. 
Lott  was  easily  recognizable  by 
his  wild,  unhatted  hair.  Why  was 
he  using  this  private  road?  Why 
didn't  he  take  the  other  road — 
this  one  led  to  the  railroad  tracks. 
He  had  better  be  careful.  The 
Overland  Limited  passed  in  the 
early  morning.  That  crossing  was 
dangerous. 

The  next  morning  Anna  set  out 
with  her  bucket  of  mash.  Rodney, 
starting  out  to  his  farm,  soon  re- 
turned with  news. 

"Lott's  General  Grant  was 
killed  on  the  railroad  track  last 
night!"  he  cried.  "Cut  to  pieces! 
Like  to  nearly  upset  the  train,  too. 
Nobody  knows  how  he  got 
through  the  fence.  No  wire  was 
cut,   and  no  gate  was  open!" 

Jonas   looked    grave.  'That 


will  cost  a  pretty  penny,"  he  vol- 
unteered. "That  really  was  a 
valuable  animal."  Further  discus- 
sion was  interrupted  by  the  sudden 
entrance  of  Anna,  wild  with  anger. 
Her  frail  body  trembled,  tears 
blended  with  dirt  and  mud.  Bran 
mash  was  smeared  upon  her  cloth- 
ing. 

"He's  gone — "  she  wailed.  "My 
pretty's  gone!" 

Her  father  and  Gloria  looked 
at  her  in  amazement,  while  slow 
understanding  crept  over  Rodney's 
face.  "Don't  you  worry,  Sis,"  he 
began,  but  Anna  again  interrupt- 
ed: 

"My  pretty  was  so  sick.  I  fed 
him  every  day.  He  took  it  from 
my  hand.  His  foot  was  hurted. 
He  was  Lott's  big  cow.  He's  gone. 
I   loved   him." 

Lott  enjoyed  a  nine  day  popu- 
larity when  he  showed  the  check 
the  railroad  sent  in  settlement. 
There  had  been  no  questions.  Lott 
had  papers  showing  the  value  and 
pedigree  of  the  Jersey;  he  was 
killed  on  the  tracks,  just  inside 
the  crossing.  And  Rodney  said 
nothing,  but  bided  his  time.  He 
had  plans  forming  in  his  mind,  in 
which  Lott's  money  played  a  part. 


R. 


^\--  '-■  ■ 

>;■*-       !];:-■ 

Lk 

^^ 

a^4 

--,;),  5*$gffiSB 

■HnatikT 

...      ,  -■•     . 

*              ■:'-*-' 

*  »*»** 

1     .     .   .... 

.ODNEY'S  reading 
had  not  been  confined  to  novels. 
He  had  gotten  some  serious  books, 
among  them  a  copy  of  the  state 
laws.  Also,  he  read  a  book  on 
pre-emption  and  homesteading.  He 
began  to  watch  the  calendar.  Jonas, 
worried  over  what  proved  to  be 
the  failure  of  his  store  and  Gloria's 
weakening  health,  did  not  pay  as 
much  attention  to  the  lapse  of  the 
fourteen  months  of  residence  as 
Rodney  did.  He  was  secure.  He 
had  paid  the  fees  required  for 
short  term  residence.  The  land 
was  cultivated,  and  Rodney  faith- 
fully made  it  his  place  of  residence. 
The  final  proof  for  patent  could 
be  attended  to  at  any  convenient 
time. 

During  his  father's  absence  Rod- 
ney took  two  of  the  hired  men 
and  rode  to  the  land  office.  He 
was  an  American  citizen.  He  was 
well  past  twenty-one.  He  had 
witnesses  to  prove  he  had  com- 
plied with  all  requirements.  He 
said  nothing  of  his  action  to  his 
father.  Within  a  short  time  Mr. 
Rodney  Whitman  received  patent 
from  the  United  States  to  the 
quarter    section    which    fulfilled    a 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


29 


long  cherished  dream  of  his  fa- 
ther's. But  to  Rodney  it  was 
merely  land.  Land  that  you  had 
to  plow  and  furrow  and  rake  and 
sow  and  irrigate.  And  Lott  Gas- 
con! coveted  that  land,  and  Lott 
had  money. 

Choosing  an  auspi- 
cious day  when  Jonas  was  again 
away  from  home  Rodney  and  Lott 
traveled  to  the  county  seat.  It 
only  required  one  simple  signature 
to  make  Lott  the  legal  possessor 
of  one  hundred  sixty  acres  of  land, 
and  from  Lott's  greasy  pockets  the 
General  Grant  money  was  trans- 
ferred to  Rodney  Whitman.  To 
him  it  was  money;  money  to  carry 
him  far  away  from  detested  farms 
and  cows,  from  woodcutting  and 

plowing. 

*      *      * 

Gloria  had  worked  at  high  ten- 
sion all  day  long.  Rodney  was  so 
elated  over  something,  he  did 
nothing  but  whisper  to  Victoria. 
Aunt  Catherine  was  buried  deep 
in  her  eleventh  reading  of  Under 
Two  Flags. 

"Ah,  Gloria,"  she  called,  when- 
ever the  busy  Gloria  came  within 
earshot,  "if  Cigaretta  had  been  a 
princess,  she  couldn't  have  acted 
more  regally.  And  speaking  of 
princesses,  did  you  know  that 
Queen  Victoria  has  had  nine  chil- 
dren? What  a  marvelous  queen! 
She  buried  her  husband.  Princess 
Alice  died  because  she  kissed  her 
diphtheria-stricken  son,  and  the 
future  king,  Prince  Arthur,  died. 
Still  Queen  Victoria  carries  on, 
alone.  I  would  love  to  return  to 
England  for  her  jubilee.  It  will 
be  grand.  Ah,  me,  my  eyes  ache. 
I  think  I  shall  play  a  little  on  the 
piano  before  supper.  Do  you  know 
how  to  make  a  Yorkshire  pudding, 
Gloria?" 

vjrLORIA  went  down 
to  feed  the  chickens.  Little  Peter 
and  Nancy  trudged  along.  Peter 
was  getting  to  be  a  fine  sturdy  boy 
now,  able  to  keep  Nancy  from  the 
irrigation  ditches,  and  to  carry 
small  armfuls  of  wood  to  the 
house.  Perhaps  there  would  be 
more  eggs  tonight.  The  grass  was 
green.  Old  Spotty  had  stolen  her 
nest  away.  If  she  could  find  it, 
there  would  be  more  eggs  to  sell, 
and  a  little  more  money  to  drop 
in  the  crock  on  the  cellar  floor. 
Gloria  climbed  to  the  loft  over 


the  mangers.  The  cackle  of  a 
startled  hen  led  her  on  —  surely 
Spotty  had  chosen  a  secluded  spot. 
Gloria  stepped  on  a  loose  board, 
tripped  and  fell,  not  through  to 
the  mangers,  but  only  half  way. 
The  narrow  aperture  would  not 
let  her  through,  gave  her  no  chance 
to  draw  herself  upward.  There 
she  hung,  calling  piteously  to  little 
Peter  to  run  for  help.  Peter  could 
hardly  understand.  But  he  knew 
her  voice  was  queer  and  muffled, 
and  he  ran  back  to  the  house. 
Aunt  Catherine's  voice  guided  him 
to  the  parlor.  She  was  lustily 
singing  and  rebuked  him  for  in- 
terrupting. 

"If  you  had  been  properly 
reared,"  she  admonished,  "you 
would  not  speak  until  spoken  to. 
These  modern  children  have  no  re- 
spect for  their  elders." 

"Send  her  victorious 
Happy  and  glorious 
Long  to  reign  over  us 
God  save  the  Queen!" 

She  took  up  her  solo  again,  feel- 
ing that  Peter  should  be  impressed 
into  silence.  But  he  merely 
screamed,  louder  than  before: 

"Mama!  Mama!" 

"May  she  defend  our  laws — " 


1  ETER  became  des- 
perate. He  could  see  his  mother 
dangling  above  the  mangers,  could 
hear  her  voice  growing  fainter.  He 
looked  around  for  something  to 
rouse  this  lady  who  did  not  like 
to  move.  His  glance  fell  on  the 
twelve  gourds  which  he  had  been 
taught  to  revere.  They  were  not 
heavy.  He  grabbed  one  and  threw 
it  with  all  his  puny  strength  di- 
rectly in  the  face  of  Aunt  Cather- 
ine, who  had  opened  her  mouth 
wide  for  another  line  of  the  song. 
The  effect  was  all  that  Peter  had 
desired.  The  gourd  rolled  harm- 
lessly to  the  carpeted  floor,  but 
Aunt  Catherine  sprang  up  to  pun- 
ish the  boy  who  dared  affront  her 


in  that  manner.  Peter  ran  from 
the  house  toward  the  barn,  with 
Aunt  Catherine  following  with  all 
the  speed  she  could  muster.  It 
was  really  a  pity  that  there  were 
none  to  watch  her  marathon. 
Down  the  dusty  path  to  the  barn 
she  followed  the  nimble  Peter,  in- 
to the  barn  where  he  pointed  to 
his  mother.  A  look  of  horrified 
understanding  came  over  the  fea- 
tures of  Aunt  Catherine.  The 
butter  and  cream  and  hot  biscuits 
had  produced  a  broad,  plump 
shoulder.  With  one  supreme  ef- 
fort she  extricated  the  unconscious 
Gloria. 


Gi 


■    *%?  ■-■■ 

;* 

1~\  ■ 

1 

A 

■l               ■    1 

\   ' 

■■■i '  -I 

t 

1  -^5 

w  *■ 

n 

rLORIA  never  really 
knew  what  happend  in  the  suc- 
ceeding few  hours.  The  world 
moved  around  her  in  a  sickening 
whirl,  with  pain  laughing  mock- 
ingly, with  the  voice  of  little 
Nancy  calling,  as  if  from  deep 
water.  She  must  stay  for  Nancy. 
And  Peter.  And  poor  little 
Anna  —  and  the  gourds  must  be 
cared  for.  Jonas'  voice  sound- 
ed far  away,  muffled  like  hers.  Had 
he  fallen  too?  Eggs — a  carload 
of  eggs,  rolling  over  the  road  to 
the  station,  falling  off  into  the 
hands  of  eager  children.  In  the 
early  morning  hours,  two  little 
babies  lay  wrapped  in  blankets  on 
the  farther  side  of  the  bed. 

Aunt  Catherine  bent  over  her 
with  more  tenderness  than  she  had 
ever  used  and  whispered,  "Girls, 
my  dear.  Two  of  'em.  This  is 
only  four.  Queen  Victoria  had 
nine." 

Aunt  Catherine  lay  down  to 
rest  on  the  children's  bed.  Vic- 
toria had  taken  the  children  to 
bed  with  her.  Rodney  was  sup- 
posedly back  in  his  homestead  cab- 
in. A  great  stillness  hung  over  the 
house.  Victoria  should  be  getting 
up.  There  were  many  tasks  for 
all  this  day.  The  sun  rose  bright- 
ly. Birds  began  to  twitter,  still 
Victoria  did  not  come.  Aunt 
Catherine  rose,  sleepily. 

'That  boy  Peter  is  bright,  like 
all  the  Whitmans.  He  took  me  by 
the  hand  and  led  me  to  you,  Gloria, 
I'm  glad  your  babies  have  no  hint 
of  your  red  hair,  Gloria.  They 
really  look  beautiful." 

k^HE  went  out,  com- 
plaining faintly  that  she  needed  her 
breakfast.     Victoria  should  be  here 

(Continued  on  page    60) 


30 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


4^Boy  Scouts  In  Camp 

dustrial  school  at  Ogden,  who  are 
members  of  Troop  7  at  the  state 
institution,  participated  in  an  out- 
ing at  Camp  Kiesel  during  the 
latter  part  of  July.  Scouts  from 
Brigham  City  also  attended  the 
camp  after  Ogden  Scouts  had  en- 
joyed its  privileges. 

r)NE  of  the  features  of  the  Salt 
Lake  council  camp  was  the 
visit  of  Troop  2,  of  Ogden,  ac- 
cording to  L.  D.  Simmons,  scout- 
master of  Troop  18,  Salt  Lake, 
and  one  of  the  council  publicity 
committee;  he  said: 

"From  August  9  to  J  6,  this  troop  2 
from  Ogden  enjoyed  a  marvelous  trip 
into  that  paradise,  the  Uintah  wilderness, 
the  great  Granddaddy  lakes  country.  The 
hike  took  the  21  members  from  Mirror 
lake  over  Rocky  Sea  pass,  down  Rock 
creek  to  the  East  fork,  then  up  to  Brown 
Duck  lakes  and  through  Squaw  basin. 
Going  up  Fish  Creek  to  Granddaddy 
lakes,  then  over  the  mountain  to  the 
Hadies'    canyon    country. 

"From  there  the  boys  went  to  Fish 
lakes,  Four  Lakes  basin  and  north  to 
Lake  Ruth,  where  the  Salt  Lake  council 
camp,  directed  by  Lew  Roberts,  wel- 
comed them  heartily;  then  back  to  Mirror 
lake  and  home.  They  camped  where 
night  overtook  them,  without  fear,  and 
in  safety. 

"The  packs  carried  weighed  from  27 
to  40  pounds.  This  included  bedding, 
personal  equipment  and  food  for  a  week — 
nine  pounds  of  condensed,  dried,  ready- 
to-eat  foods,  consisting  of  raisins,  prunes, 
apricots,  peaches,  figs,  rye  crisp,  whole 
wheat,  parched  corn,  chocolate,  peanuts, 
malted  milk  tablets,  peanut  butter,  jam, 
sugar,    salt,    limes   and   carrots. 

"It  is  caluculated  that  each  Scout  lifted 
6000  tons  and  the  troop  took  4,200,000 
steps  during  the  hike.  Scoutmaster  Paul 
S.  Bieler  and  his  assistant.  John  Bragonje, 
were   in    charge   of    the    trip." 

"DROILING  juicy  beefsteaks  over 
hot  coals;  rolling  eggs  in  mud 
and  cooking  them;  making  flap- 
jacks in  one  hand,  stirring  with 
the  other  hand,  to  eliminate  cook- 
ing utensils.  Sleeping  under  the 
stars,  sometimes  with  a  tent,  some- 
times without.  Smelling  the  odor 
of  pine  boughs,  the  camp  fire, 
roasting  meat.  Communing  with 
Heaven  in  nature's  forests.  These 
things  the  Scouts  of  the  Salt  Lake 
council,  and  others,  did  at  their 
summer  outings. 

Hundreds  of  boys  took  part  in 
the  Timpanogos  camp  under  the 
supervision  of  Scout  Executive  A. 
A.  Anderson.  Camps  were  held 
at  Pine  Creek,  Huntington  Can- 
yon, Big  Springs,  and  Camp  Tim- 
panogos in  Provo  Canyon. 


Continued  from 
page  21 


In  addition,  at  the  Uintah  Basin 
Industrial  Convention,  held  Aug. 
5,  6  and  7,  at  Fort  Duchesne, 
Utah,  the  boys  participated  in  con- 
tests which  were  watched  by  a 
thousand  interested  spectators. 
Two  outstanding  winners  were 
Russell  Robinson,  who  made  his 
cooking  fire  by  the  flint  and  steel 
method,  and  mixed  and  baked  a 
pancake,  taking  only  three  min- 
utes and  twenty  seconds  for  the 
whole  process;  and  John  Whit- 
more,  of  Troop  251,  Roosevelt, 
Utah,  winner  of  the  first  aid 
contest. 

About  300  Scouts  aided  at  the 
Convention. 

Brigham  City's  peach  day  and 
rodeo  celebration  was  not  complete 
without  the  Scouts.  They  dis- 
tributed more  than  ten  tons  of 
watermelons  and  300  bushels  of 
peaches  to  hungry  visitors  on  Fri- 
day, Sept.  1 1 ,  and  more  than  that 
amount  Saturday  to  vast  throngs. 

'"PHE  Cache  Water  Front  camp, 
held  for  Vanguards,  at  Ideal 
Beach  on  the  south  end  of  Bear 
Lake,  Aug.  9  to  16,  brought  forth 
many  letters  of  ( commendation 
from  the  Vanguards,  45  of  whom 
attended. 

Scouts  of  the  district  also  at- 
tended camp  and  enjoyed  it  to  the 
fullest. 

A  group  of  Cache  Vanguards, 
under  the  direction  of  Executive 
Preston  Pond  visited  White  Pine 
Lake,  via  horseback,  marking  one 
of  the  most  progressive  seasons  for 
Vanguards  in  Utah.  Scouts  under 
the  leadership  of  Executive  Pond 
visited  Yellowstone  Park  and  par- 
took of  the  spirit  of  romance,  ad- 
venture and  felt  the  urge  of  "bear 
hunting"  with  camera  and  pen. 

From  the  Timpanogos  area  also 
came  to  Yellowstone  the  annual 
"Eagles'  Flight."  Eagle  Scouts,  20 
in  number,  prepared  for  the  trip, 
and  enjoyed  a  1400  mile  trek  un- 
der the  direction  of  A.  A.  Ander- 
son, council  head.  The  itinerary 
included  Evanston,  Fossil,  Coke- 
ville  and  Star  Valley,  Wyo.,  and 
from  there  through  Swan  Valley, 
the  Teton  Basin,  Jackson  Hole, 
and  home.  The  total  cost  to  each 
Scout  was  estimated  at  $15,  in- 
cluding  food   and   transportation. 

Many  other  troops  made  "in- 
dividual" trips  to  the  national 
shrine   and    "shot"   wild  animals. 


tourists  and  Scouts  with  equanimi- 
ty, using  kodaks  as  rifles. 

ONE  of  the  biggest  events  of  the 
year  for  Scouts  was  the  "Cov- 
ered Wagon  Days"  fete  in  Salt 
Lake,  July  24,  25  and  26,  at 
which  more  than  500  Scouts  and 
Scouters  assisted  with  the  parade 
July  24,  and  the  stadium  pageant, 
July  25. 

To  commemorate  this  event, 
boys  constructed  covered  wagons 
and  ox  teams  for  display  all 
through  Salt  Lake  City.  One  of 
the  best  and  most  unique  models 
built  was  shown  to  the  Scouts  of 
the  Salt  Lake  stake  who  attended 
the  training  course  in  merit  badge 
work.  The  classes  are  held  each 
Wednesday  evening  at  7:30  p.  m. 
in  the  West  High  School  Seminary 
building,  and  are  attended  by  all 
Scouts  who  are  Second  Class  or 
higher  in  Scouting,  and  who  have 
the  desire  to  work  for  merit  badges. 
'  This  special  model  "Covered 
Wagon,"  accompanied  by  a  model 
of  "The  Pony  Express,"  was  made 
entirely  of  plumbing  fixtures  by 
L.  E.  Arnold  of  the  Waterworks 
Equipment  company,  149  West 
Second  South,  Salt  Lake.  The 
wagon  body  was  made  of  redwood 
pipe,  the  wheels  were  regular 
flanges,  the  oxen  were  Trident 
water  meters,  and  oakum  was  used 
for  their  tails.  The  pony  express 
model  was  made  entirely  of  stock 
plumbing  fixtures. 

A/TUCH  good  has  been  done  at 
this  training  course,  and  the 
boys  are  eager  to  put  into  practice 
at  camp  the  things  learned  there  in 
the  classroom.  One-stringed  vio- 
lins— that  really  can  be  made  to 
produce  music — large  knot  boards 
with  original  as  well  as  regular 
knots,  first  aid,  civics,  conservation 
and  many  other  merit  badge  and 
handicraft  studies  have  been  taken 
up  this  season.  It  is  expected  the 
work  will  be  continued  through 
the  year. 

Activities  for  Utah  Boy  Scouts 
for  the  past  summer  included: 
Provo — The  building  of  a  trail  to 
the  rock  ruins  of  an  old  Indian 
guard  fort  in  Provo  Canyon;  He- 
bet — The  awarding  of  more  than 
$100  worth  of  badges  to  Scouts 
of  the  council  since  the  beginning 
of  the  year,  with  some  boys  win- 
ning three  or  four  awards  at  each 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


31 


court  of  honor;  SmithHeld — The 
purchase  of  a  radio  by  Troop  54 
for  Miss  Vena  Sorenson,  who  has 
not  walked  for  more  than  20 
years;  Richfield — The  thinning  of 
Oliver  Barlow's  beets  by  Third 
Ward  Scouts  before  they  left  for 
a  camping  trip,  when  Mr.  Barlow 
was  confined  to  his  bed  with  a 
severe  illness;  Salt  Lake — A  treas- 
ure hunt  for  old  mounds  and  In- 
dian relics  by  Troop  33,  under 
Scoutmaster  "Bill"  Davis;  the 
opening  in  The  Deseret  News  of  a 
weekly  Boy  Scout  page  for  Utah 
council  news;  a  successful  camping 
season,  closing  Sept.  1,  and  the 
giving  of  Scout  leaders'  winter 
training  courses  during  the  month 
of  September;  Spanish  Fork — The 
saving  of  two  boys'  lives  by  Scout 
William  Keele,  13,  on  a  fishing 
trip.      Several    Scoutmaster's   keys 


also  were  presented  to  those  finish- 
ing the  five-year  Scout  leaders' 
course  outlined  by  the  National 
Headquarters. 

Good  news  to  Utah  Scouts  is 
the  message  that  the  next  World 
Jamboree  is  to  be  held  in  Hungary 
in  1933.  Scouts  of  this  vicinity 
already  have  "pricked  up  their 
ears"  and  are  "sharpening  their 
wits"  in  preparation  for  the  jour- 
ney to  Europe,  and  the  mastery  of 
enough  words  in  the  German  or  in 
the  Hungarian  language  to  enable 
them  to  eat  in  case  they  wander 
from  camp  near  mealtime. 

(^AMP  under  the  stars,  with  per- 
haps a  huge  bonfire  and  a  pro- 
gram before  time  for  retiring;  early 
rising;  eating,  hiking,  studying  na- 
ture and  Scouting;  boating,  swim- 


ming. Coming  back  to  camp  at 
the  close  of  day — the  "end  of  the 
trail"  for  the  time  being. 

These  things  more  than  five 
thousand  Boy  Scouts  and  boy  lead- 
ers have  experienced  this  summer. 
And  as  they  look  back  on  their 
hikes,  camps  and  studies,  they  feel 
indeed  the  nearness  of  the  Al- 
mighty; that  he  is  represented  in 
the  grass  and  trees,  in  the  water, 
smiling  from  the  beautiful  clouds, 
and  from  the  tall  mountain  peaks; 
that  he  is  ever  present,  ever  loving 
—a  true  Father,  and  as  the  man 
and  the  boy  stops  to  ponder  the 
meaning  of  life  he  lifts  a  reverent- 
ly bared  head  to  an  understanding 
Deity,  whose  very  name  is  carved 
in  nature — God — interpreted  by 
Scouts  as  the  Author  of  all,  in  the 
Great  Out  Doors. 


«)z<?q%&s>i*- 


-<* 


^A  Habit  JVorth  Acquiring 


able  to  fare  forth  with  his  racquet 
on  days  when  the  local  paper 
reports  record-breaking  105  to 
108  temperatures,  to  play  tennis 
for  two  or  three  hours  with  men 
his  juniors  by  decades,  and  come 
away  with  his  share  of  the  spoils 
of  victory.  In  fact  in  a  locality  in 
which  the  great  court  sport  finds 
many  of  its  most  brilliant  players 
in  the  entire  section  J.  Will  Knight 
at  the  age  of  5  6  is  able  to  play  with 
the  best  and  is  forced  to  acknowl- 
edge only  a  half  dozen  peers.  He 
frequently  may  be  seen  with  an- 
other capable  athlete  who  is  known 
to  most  of  the  people  only  as  a 
doctor  of  letters,  or  a  member  of 
the  English  Department  of  Brig- 
ham  Young  University — Dr.  P. 
A.  Christensen  who  was  known 
fifteen  to  twenty  years  ago  as  an 
outstanding  college  and  semi-pro- 
fessional baseball  pitcher  preserves 
his  vigor  and  freshness  of  view- 
point by  playing  volley  ball  in  the 
winter  time  and  tennis  in  the  sum- 
mer time.  It  is  most  refreshing  to 
know  that  this  master  of  Chaucer, 
sympathetic  interpreter  of  the  class- 
ics, skillful  teacher  and  gifted  ma- 
nipulator of  the  English  language 
can  discover  such  a  splendid  outlet 
for  energy  and  tonic  for  health  on 
the  tennis  courts  and  in  the  gym- 
nasium. 

And  so  it  goes!  Professor  C. 
Lavoir  Jensen  leads  a  group  of 
facultonians  who  have  become  ad- 


dicted to  barnyard  golf.  Just  re- 
cently Mr.  Jensen  finished  second 
in  the  Provo  City  championships 
losing  a  brilliant  battle  of  ringers 
to  a  man  who  pitched  a  perfect 
horseshoe  game  to  achieve  the 
championship. 

J^EAN  HUGH  M.  WOOD- 
WARD finds  his  diversion 
and  exercise  in  hiking  and  is  typ- 
ical of  a  large  group  who  like  the 
mountains  and  canyons.  Profes- 
sor Elmer  Miller  and  Professor 
Milton  Marshall  are  typical  of  the 
Isaac  Waltons  who  abound  in 
great  numbers  on  the  Brigham 
Young  University  faculty.  Be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  faculty 
members  find  diversion  three  times 
each  week  in  a  lively  volley  ball 
session,  which,  it  must  be  frankly 
admitted,  occasionally  challenges 
the  best  debating  talents  of  the 
participants  as  well  as  the  physical 
agility.  Even  though  the  horse 
seems  to  be  passing  rapidly  from 
the  picture,  the  bicycle  still  sur- 
vives in  Provo,  and  some  of  the 
faculty  members,  it  is  alleged,  push 
a  mean  pedal. 

The  extensive  intramural  system 
which  provides  competitive  play  in 
fifteen  varieties  of  sport,  for  ninety 
percent  of  the  enrolled  men  and 
women,  should  I  am  sure,  not  only 
give  them  healthful,  recreational 
activity  but  should  inculcate  in 
them  as  part  of  their  very  beings 


Continued  from 
page   1 5 


the  habits  of  proper  physical  recre- 
ation. 

Of  course,  the  process  should 
commence  further  down  the  scale 
— and  so  it  does.  The  public  play 
ground  systems,  the  elementary 
and  high  schools,  the  Church  recre- 
ational organizations — all  these 
and  other  agencies  are  cooperating 
in  an  effort  to  promote  better  cit- 
izenship and  to  insure  social  wel- 
fare by  utilizing  pleasurably  and 
profitably  the  leisure  time  of  the 
entire  mass  in  activities  which  may 
fix  upon  the  individual's  useful 
habits  and  desirable  appetites. 

ANY  citizen  who  has  not  been 
converted  to  the  gospel  of  the 
hearty  handshake,  the  clear  eye  and 
the  cheery  voice,  who  has  not  be- 
come addicted  to  the  tingling  re- 
freshment of  an  invigorating 
shower  bath  after  a  wholesome 
sweat,  and  who  has  not  surrend- 
ered to  the  love  of  good  champion- 
ship and  wholesome  physical  ex- 
ercise, hand  in  hand,  has  not  come 
into  his  full  rights  of  citizenship. 
Furthermore,  society  has  the  right 
to  expect  that  every  individual  will 
do  everything  in  his  power  to  make 
his  life  as  long  and  as  happy  and  as 
serviceable  as  possible. 

Therefore  the  pertinent  ques- 
tion: Are  you  doing  everything  in 
your  power  to  create,  to  cultivate 
and  to  preserve  proper  recreational 
habits? 


/ 


Spinsterhood 

By  Bee  Forsyth 
LOVE  three  things: 


A  silver  tureen, 
A  pink  tea-rose 
And  little  Eileen. 

Little  Eileen  lives 
Across  the  way. 
She  comes  to  visit 
Me  every  day. 

She  runs  up  my  stair 
On  the  tips  of  her  toes ; 
She  dresses  up  in  my 
Debutante  clothes. 

She  unravels  knitting; 
She  helps  me  bake  pies. 
She  tosses  her  curls 
And  laughs  with  her  eyes. 

Oh,  I  have  a  tea-rose 
And  a  silver  tureen. 
But  shall  I  have  never 
A  Little  Eileen? 

•* «c>*gj!g*'3# *■ 

Autumn 

By  Bertha  Woodland 

rHE  earth  is  filled  with  peace; 
The  chimes  ring  not, 
But  the  good  will  of  man 
Is  manifest  by  clattering  wheels, 
Exchange  of  greetings  in  adjacent  fields; 
At  each  new  day's  beginning, 
Or  when  the  noonday  meal  is  shortly  done. 

My  gaze  goes  out,  across  the  valley ; 
To  the  low,  rambling  western  hills 
And  fields  of  ripened  grain. 

My  earthly  heritage  is  great, 

Of  which  these  are  but  a  meagre  portion. 

Although  metallic  wheels  of  industry 

Reward  me  not  with  lifeless  coin, 

I  pause  beneath  the  friendly  poplar  tree, 

And  the  breeze  that  plays  about  the  green 

Is  cooler;  refreshing  my  body,  moist  from 

toil. 
The  early  autumn  sun,  nomadic,  fiery  ball, 
Sinks  in   a  hazy  mist,    behind  the   purple 

hills. 
I  love  the  soil,  the  breeze,  the  grain, 
The  seed,  the  plant,  the  train,   the  cloud- 
less sky; 
The  sacred  peace  that  permeates  an  early 

autumn  day 
An  heir  of  nature  and  of  work,  sufficient 
To  fill  my  soul  with  peace,  as  I  rest; 
Praising    Him    from    whom    all    blessings 
flow. 


Two  Questions 

By  Alberta  H.  Christensen 

T 1 7  ERE  it  better  to  close  tight 
W      The  tarnished  lute 

For  want  of  missing  string; 

Or  to  fling 

Less  perfect  melody 

Upon  the  night? 

May  not  some  finer  ear 

At  twilight  hear 

The  fragment  song; 

And,   catching  overtones, 

Find  sweet 

The  soul-born  cadences 

Though  incomplete? 


Glad  Days  of  Fall 

By  Linnie  Fisher  Robinson 

rHESE  are  the  glad,  glad  days  of  fall, 
The   days   when  promise  stands  ful- 
filled ; 
When   garnered  fruits  are  everywhere, 
And  beauty  reigns  as  God  has  willed. 

These  are  the  glad,  glad  days  of  fall; 
The  leaves  go  gaily  sailing  by 
On  golden  wings  with  russet  tips 
To  cuddle  'mong  the  grasses  nigh. 

These  are  the  glad,   glad  days  of  fall; 
A  purple  haze  is  floating  high, 
The  sun  has  a  new,  a  wine- red  shade 
And  the  winds  have  a  new  low  sigh. 

These  are  the  glad,  glad  days  of  fall, 
Earth  gives  her  wealth  to  man  to  keep; 
Then  shuts  her  eyes  in  dreamy  peace, 
Contentedly  she  waits  for  sleep. 

November 

By  Gladys  Hendrickson 

rHE  world  is  wrapped  in  fragrant  folds 
Of  shadowy  chiffon, 
And  on  this  golden  harvest  veil 
The  duskiness  of  slender  trees, 
Encrowned  in  leafy  filigrees, 
November  nights  have  drawn. 

The  leaves  are  heaped  in  golden  mounds — 
In  sculptured  loveliness  they  lie; 
While  from  their  depths  the  cobalt  smoke 
Curls  incense  to  a  silver  sky. 

I  Have  Seen  God 

By  Christie  Lund 

/HAVE  seen   God!      I   have   seen   him 
on  the  breast  of  hills, 
At  twilight  when  the  sunlight  steals  away 
Slowly  as  a  mother  from  a  sleeping  child 
At  the  close  of  day. 

I  have  seen  him  in  the  grace  of  lacy  trees, 
Patiently  swaying  'gainst  a  silver  sky; 
And  in  the  first  bright  gleam  of  evening 

star 
Which  speaks  of  peace  and  lifts  our  hopes 
up  high. 

I  have  seen  him  in  a  child's  dream-washed 

and  gleaming  eyes; 
And    I    have   found   him   in   a   cool,    dark 

wood. 
But  mostly  I  have  seen  him  in  the  face  of 

those  sweet  souls 
Who  have  trod  his  ways  and  found  them 

good. 


Indian  Summer 

By  Helen  Kimball  Orgill 
T?ARTH'S  at  her  loveliest, 
i—j  Fold  upon  fold 
Distances    gleaming 
Purple  and  gold. 

Asters  are  paling, 
Fields  rapture  know ; 
Smoke  wraiths  are  drifting, 
Maples  aglow. 

Ah,   would  I  linger 
By  purpling  vine. 
There  in  the  meadow 
Blue  berries  shine. 

Hillsides  are  changing. 
Weaving  bright  dreams; 
Vision  ethereal 
Shimmering  gleams. 

Dear  is  the  knowing 
All  things  though  wild. 
Join  one  glad  chorus 
By  you  beguiled. 

Joyous   fulfilment 
Crowns  all  the  days 
Indian  Summer 
Parting  of  ways! 


Phases 

By  Linda  S.  Fletcher 

/SHOULD  like  to  spend  the  moon, 
If  I  might! 
It's  a  coin  of  silver  rare 
Through  the  mist  of  morning  air — 
Price  of  joys  beyond  compare: 

Fancy's  flight! 
From  the  moon  I'd  like  to  quaff — 

Golden  bowl! 
Life's  elixir  it  must  hold! 
Ecstasy  and  joys  untold 
Would  before  my  eyes  unfold- — - 

Feed  my  soul. 

I  should  like  to  wear  the  moon — - 

Cap  of  lace! 
For  its  mist  upon  my  hair 
Would  bring  dreams  beyond  compare; 
You  would  come  to  meet  me  there- — • 

Face  to  face! 

In  the  moon  I'd  like  to  sail — 

Shallop  bright ! 
Silken  drapes  to  veil  my  dreams, 
While  around  soft  splendor  gleams. 
To  you  drifting,  so  it  seems, 

Through  the  night. 

Still  I'm  glad  you  stay  so  high, 

Sphere  of  light! 
There,  you  upward  draw  my  eyes, 
Bid  my  thoughts  from  dust  arise, 
Lure  me  on  through  endless  skies 

To  delight! 

Candles 

By  Grace  Ingles  Frost 

TJ7HAT  is  more  alluring  in  the  dusk 
VV    of  night 
Than  a  waxen  taper  palpitant  with  light? 
Like  the  pulsing  semaphores  God  has  set 

above, 
Candles  are  for  dreaming — dreaming  and 

for  love; 
That  is  why  a  candle's  glow  a  heart  throb- 
holds  for  me, 
When  through  a  cottage  window  its  wel- 
coming I  see. 


Glancing  Through 


Brief  Summary  of  Magazine  Articles5 

|  By 

.    ELSIE  TALMAGE  BRANDLEY 


Catholic  or  Protestant/"^ 

Which  will  win  the  New 
Social  Order? 

By  JAY  FRANKLIN 

(The  Forum  for  Sept.,  1931) 

EVER  since  the  end  of  the  war, 
it  has  been  obvious  that  both 
Catholic  and  Protestant  church- 
es stand  in  need  of  rejuvenation. 
if  tbey  are  to  avoid  the  fate  of  all  hu- 
man wall-flowers.  In  philosophical 
mood,  quite  different  from  its  former 
political  and  theological  hysterics,  the 
church  has  set  about  to  have  its  "face 
lifted,"  according  to  the  prevailing 
fashion  for  aged  ladies  who  feel  that 
they  can  be  made  to  appear  younger 
and  more  modern,  renewed  and  re- 
vitalized by  means  of  deft  surgery. 
While  the  modern  spirit  has  not  as  yet 
got  into  the  actual  spiritual  mission  of 
these  churches,  it  is  easy  to  detect  a 
sort  of  flapperish  attitude  on  the  part 
of  both,  in  the  hope  that  ecclesiastical 
cosmetics  will  popularize  them. 

The  war  all  but  wrecked  organized 
Christianity,  for  four  years  of  hatred 
and  malice,  greed,  and  violence  prac- 
tically knocked  the  props  out  from  un- 
der the  church.  Every  sect  was  in  the 
fray,  eliminating  each  other  and  oth- 
ers of  themselves  with  high  explosives, 
for  the  best  Christians  proved  to  be 
the  best  patriots  and  the  best  fighters. 
Pulpits  rang  with  denunciations  of  the 
foe,  and  the  clergy  did  a  land  office 
business.  When  the  war  ended,  there 
was  an  inevitable  slump. 

The  Church  of  Rome  was  especial- 
ly hard  hit,  for  the  Pope  had  preserved 
the  neutrality  of  the  Vatican  and  had 
issued  a  strong  appeal  for  peace  in 
1917,  all  to  little  avail;  and  the  Cath- 
olic Church  was  plunged  into  a  poli- 
tical struggle  for  survival.  At  the  same 
time,  the  Protestant  churches  were 
making  themselves  conspicuous  over 
dogmatic  interpretations — fundamen- 
talists vs.  modernists;  people  who  be- 
lieved miracles  to  be  unnecessary  pitted 
against  those  who  would  believe  that 
Jonah  swallowed  the  whale  if  they 
were  asked  to.  And  shortly  after  the 
fray  over  science  and  religion,  Com- 
munism struck  a  body  blow  at  the 
church  when  Russia,  solving  many  of 
the  social  problems  which  the  church 
had  felt  should  belong  to  her,  ridi- 
culed religion  into  obscurity  and  dis- 


repute, and  insisted  that  it  be  quite 
unrelated  to  the  program  of  daily  liv- 
ing.1 

Left  to  find  other  issues  on  which 
to  base  their  claims,  the  churches  have 
hit  upon  two  phases  of  modern  life 
which  are  always  arresting — family  re- 
lationships and  money.  The  Catholics, 
denouncing  divorce  and  birth  control 
with  all  former  vehemence  and  some 
new  besides,  have  caused  the  Protest- 
ants to  yield  to  the  modern  current  and 
approve  both,  with  full  and  sufficient 
reasons  explained,  the  chief  one  being, 
according  to  the  Presbyterians,  that 
economic  standards  have  changed  and 
make  it  wrong  to  rear  a  family  un- 
less proper  conditions  of  living  and 
education  can  be  maintained. 

The  Pope's  Encyclicals  dealt  with 
all  the  traditional  social  orders,  and 
reaffirmed  the  position  of  the  Church 
of  Rome,  and,  in  addition,  dwelt  in 
no  uncertain  terms  upon  such  matters 
as  the  public  school  system,  coeduca- 
tion, sex  education  and  gymnastics  for 
girls,  all  of  which  were  roundly  dis- 
approved. The  Encyclical  on  mar- 
riage— the  greatest  dogmatic  treatise  of 
its  kind  ever  compiled  by  a  bachelor — 
enjoined  the  ready  subjection  of  a  wife 
and  her  willing  obedience  to  her  hus- 
band and  it  condemned  romantic  fic- 
tion, novels,  movies  and  radio  broad- 
casts as  being  productive  of  frivolous 
thoughts  and  feelings.  He  added  that 
the  emancipation  of  woman  is  the  de- 
basing of  womanly  character,  and  fin- 


:Used  by  permission  of  publishers. 


ished  with  the  decree  that  eugenics 
must  be  entirely  disapproved.  After 
this  positive  statement  in  regard  to  so- 
cial and  religious  matters,  the  Pope 
turned  his  attention  to  economics,  al- 
luding to  "universal  financial  and  eco- 
nomic uneasiness"  in  his  Christmas 
greetings  to  cardinals  in  1930,  and 
following  in  February,  1931,  with  his 
notable  radio  broadcast  in  which  finan- 
cial matters  held  a  prominent  place. 
In  May  of  the  same  year  he  issued  his 
attack  on  the  capitalistic  economic  sys- 
tem, vilifying  alike  the  system  and 
those  responsible  for  it. 

Catholicism  uses  every  avenue  for 
reaching  the  public  eye  and  imagina- 
tion— -news  reels,  radio  greetings  to  the 
whole  world,  and  even  the  inaugura- 
tion of  a  series  of  monthly  motor  ser- 
vices, in  which  blessings  were  pro- 
nounced upon  parked  cars,  holy  water 
sprinkled  on  them,  and  the  passengers 
in  them  sealed  up  against  accident.  The 
fact  that  the  coach  of  the  Notre  Dame 
football  team  was  a  Catholic  was  never 
forgotten,  and  the  death  of  Rockne 
was  a  distinct  loss  to  the  Catholic 
propaganda  being  used  in  America. 

Post-war  religion  may  jazz  itself 
up  to  meet  all  needs  and  counteract 
all  ills,  but  there  will  still  be  those 
who  believe  that  the  sole  purpose  of 
organized  religion  is  to  teach  men  how 
to  live  decently  and  to  die  gracefully. 
It  requires  something  far  more  vital 
and  fundamental  than  external  beauty 
measures  to  restore  eternal  youth. 

They're  All  Related 

l  High  Intelligence,   Long  Life,  Phys- 
ical Fitness) 
By  CALVIN  T.  RYAN 
(Hygeia  Magazine  for  Sept.,  1931) 

JOHN  WESLEY,  one  of  the  earliest 
advocates  of  cleanliness  for  health 
wrote  "Studious  people  should  fre- 
quently bathe  and  frequently  wash 
their  feet,"  and  for  insuring  long  life 
he  offered  these  suggestions:  Take  tar 
and  water  night  and  morning,  or.  de- 
coction of  nettles;  or  be  electrified  daily 
or  chew  cinnamon. 

Queer  as  his  rules  appear  to  us  now, 
it  must  be  remembered  that  they  were 
strictly  in  harmony  with  the  best  medi- 
cal advice  of  his  time;  and  it  must  be 
noticed  that  there  is  a  definite  sug- 
gestion of  relationship  between  mind 
and  body;  good  health  and  studious- 
ness. 
Failure  to  understand  physical  handi- 


34 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


caps  and  the  attendant  Hstlessness  and 
indifference  toward  study  have  caused 
many  a  teacher  to  misjudge  a  student. 
The  advertisers  are  calling  attention 
constantly  to  the  fact  that  body  odor 
and  unpleasant  breath  bar  one  from 
social  contacts,  as  one  who  possesses 
these  cannot  possibly  possess  also 
charm  or  social  effectiveness.  But  they 
say  nothing  about  the  danger  of  the 
physical  conditions  which  cause  these 
troubles.  The  close  relationship  of 
the  physical,  mental  and  emotional  is 
just  beginning  to  be  realized  by  par- 
ents and  teachers,  although  there  are 
many  of  both  who  have  not  yet  grasp- 
ed the  idea:  and  who  as  a  natural  con- 
sequence are  failing  to  reach  the  child 
effectively.  Dr.  Ira  S.  Wile  of  the 
Mount  Sinai  Hospital  told  a  group  of 
teachers  that  due  thought  must  be 
given  the  physical,  intellectual,  emo- 
tional and  social  life  of  children,  in 
order  to  appreciate  unity  in  health  and 
regard  it  as  the  fusion  of  several  phases 
of  child  nature. 

In  other  words  a  child  is  composed 
of  many  parts,  but  each  part  acts  up- 
on the  rest,  and  no  one  power  or  ac- 
tivity should  be  stressed  at  the  ex- 
pense of  another.  "We  have  not  to 
build  up  a  body  nor  a  soul,  but  a  hu- 
man being,  and  we  cannot  divide 
him,"  Montaigne  said,  but  it  has  taken 
a  long  time  for  us,  generally,  to  appre- 
ciate this.  Now,  however,  one  of  the 
chief  topics  of  interest  among  men  and 
women  in  fields  of  medicine,  hygiene 
and  physical  education  is  "oneness"  of 
mind  and  body.  When  the  Greeks 
strove  for  a  sound  mind  and  a  strong 
body,  they  sought  for  more  than  they 
understood. 

During  the  World  War  the  adjutant 
general  of  the  U.  S.  Army  set  forth 
some  of  the  reasons  why  young  men 
failed  to  pass  at  the  officers'  training 
camps.  Slouchiness,  or  carelessness  in 
processes  of  acting  and  thinking,  he 
considered  the  most  glaring  cause  of 
failure,  and  he  laid  the  blame  largely 
to  faulty  school  training.  The  bear- 
ing of  an  officer  and  a  gentleman,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  adjutant  general, 
apparently  was  the  bearing  of  one  who 
gets  things  done,  quickly  and  well; 
who  knows  where  he  is  going  and 
how  to  get  there. 

Biologists  and  eugenists  agree  in 
their  conclusions  that  intelligent  peo- 
ple live  longer  and  contribute  more  to 
civilization  than  do  stupid,  ignorant 
people,  and  their  findings  are  borne 
out  by  the  insurance  companies  who 
claim  that  college  graduates  have  a 
lower  mortality  rate  than  that  of  the 
average  male  in  the  U.  S.,  and  that 
the  mortality  rate  among  honor  men 
is  even  lower  than  that  of  the  ordinary 
graduate.  Athletes  among  the  gradu- 
ates live  longer  than  the  average  man 
of  the  country,  proving  to  a  certain 
degree  that  health  goes  with  intellect- 
ual power;  physical  fitness  with  lead- 
ership. By  educators,  a  number  of 
studies  have  been  made  among  students 
to  show  the  relationship  between  good 


health,  physical  fitness  and  intellectual 
ability,  and  between  mental  fitness  and 
morality.  Among  61  senior  officers, 
their  medical  health  record  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

A    40 

B  ... 13 

C 3 

Others  5 

In  other  words,  the  well,  strong 
student  is  the  one  likely  to  hold  office. 

Another  thing  which  is  being  done 
in  schools  now  is  to  discourage  one 
having  poor  health  from  discussing  it, 
"for  superintendents  do  not  like  to 
employ  teachers  with  poor  health,  and 
more  and  more  they  ask  to  see  an  ap- 
plicant's personality  sheet  rather  than 
her  grades."  If  a  girl  is  incurably 
handicapped  physically,  she  is  advised 
to  give  up  teaching  as  a  profession,  as 
she  will  always  work  under  a  double 
disadvantage. 

It  is  impossible  to  gauge  accurately 
the  relationship  between  health  and 
academic  success,  but  records  of  some 
schools  show  that  the  leading  students 
enjoy  the  best  health. 

"Every  man  is  a  rascal  when  he  is 
sick,"  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  said,  and 
he  might  have  added,  truthfully,  "and 
every  sick  man  is  handicapped  intel- 
lectually, morally,  and  socially,"  for  a 
morbid  body  easily  gives  rise  to  a  mor- 
bid mind,  and  the  relationship  works 
both  ways.  Interdependence  of  all 
parts  of  the  human  organism  is  well 
established,  for  the  same  blood  stream 
sweeps  through  body  and  brain.  A 
person  is  a  unit — an  integration  of 
brain,  body  and  emotional  responses. 
Teaching  must  be  given  to  a  child  as 
a  whole,  not  to  one  part  at  a  time.  A 
child  cannot  be  made  a  mere  cog  in 
the  machinery  of  a  machine  age.  In 
addition  to  teaching  him  to  make  a 
living,  he  must  be  taught  to  live  while 
he  is  making  it! 

ThejEnglishman  Himself^ 

By  MARY  BORDEN 
(Harper's  Magazine  for  Sept.,   1931) 

"LJE  makes  a  bad  impression  on 
strangers  because  he  doesn't  care 
what  impression  he  makes;  he  is  diffi- 
cult to  know  because  he  doesn't  want 
to  be  known.  His  wants  are  few — 
and  one  of  them  is  to  be  left  alone; 
and  yet  he  has  learned  to  live  com- 
fortably in  a  densely  crowded  space. 
With  35,000,000  people  he  lives  on 
a  bit  of  the  map  scarcely  larger  than 


New  York,  and  while  this  seems 
scarcely  breathing  room,  he  has  man- 
aged to  achieve  a  greater  measure  of 
individual  liberty  than  any  other  man 
in  Europe.  He  has  studied  the  art  of 
human  relationship,  and  his  genius  lies 
in  the  conduct  of  human  affairs,  rather 
than  in  philosophy,  art  or  science.  He 
respects  that  queer  animal — man — and 
belongs  to  the  most  politically  and  so- 
cially advanced  people  in  the  world. 
In  other  words,  the  Englishman  is  a 
highly  civilized  man.  He  has  learned, 
among  other  things,  the  value  of  quiet 
and  courtesy,  and  how  to  give  way  to 
others,  which  are  the  insignia  of  a  civ- 
ilized man,  as  are  tact,  and  a  readiness 
to  listen  to  another  man's  opinions. 
And  so,  in  England,  there  seems  to  be 
room  for  everybody  to  live  his  own 
life  and  indulge  his  fancies  and  voice 
his  opinions;  and  the  country,  while 
crowded,  does  not  seem  so,  because  of 
the  parks,  open  spaces  and  play 
grounds. 

Whatever  you  do  in  England,  the 
courtesy  of  the  crowd  is  extended  to 
you — soldiers,  nursemaids,  coster- 
mongers,  bank  clerks,  tradesmen,  po- 
lice constables  and  society  people  all 
tolerate  each  other  politely,  and  extend 
to  one  another  and  to  strangers  the 
courtesy  of  London.  From  a  state  of 
rude  unfriendliness  which  I  attributed 
to  him  when  first  visiting  England,  the 
Englishman  has  proven  the  exact  op- 
posite, for  I  have  come  to  know  him 
better.  I  know  the  friendliness  of  his 
relations  with  others,  particularly 
when  others  are  women.  He  is  the 
man  who  treats  women  as  friends.  He 
likes  them  better  than  does  a  French- 
man who  is  a  love-maker,  or  than  an 
American,  who  slaves  for  women  and 
avoids  their  company  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. 

He  is  lazy,  and  a  master  in  the  art 
of  elimination,  as  he  has  to  be,  with 
so  many  things  and  people  crowded  in 
together.  Together  with  tact,  pa- 
tience, tolerance  and  good  humor,  the 
Englishman  must  develop  a  talent  for 
ignoring  what  he  does  not  want  to 
notice. 

He  does  not  like  surprises  of  any 
kind,  quite  contrary  to  the  man  of 
France  to  whom  new  people,  new 
dishes,  new  forms  of  entertain- 
ment are  very  attractive.  After  a 
disastrous  attempt  to  bring  new  peo- 
ple together  in  England,  I  gave  it  up, 
and  asked  them  to  meet  only  their  old 
friends  at  my  house.  They  are  diffi- 
cult men,  and  hard  to  please,  but  I 
like  my  house  to  be  full  of  them,  even 
if  they  do  object  to  the  introduction 
of  anything  new.  The  truth  is  that 
they  have  so  much  of  everything  that 
they  find  it  impossible  to  make  room 
for  anything  new.  There  is  no  man 
on  earth  so  surfeited  with  good  things 
as  the  Englishman  of  the  leisure  class; 
there  is  no  social  system  so  elaborate 
in  all  the  world.  And  why  should  a 
man  who  has  so  many  good  things 
(Continued  on  page   64) 


Laying  the  r  oundation 


^  Good  M 


aimers 


ii. 


Who  Owns  the  Earth? 

EVERYONE  will  agree  that  the 
earth  belongs  to  all  the  people 
that  live  upon  it, — but  no  one 
seems  to  know  just  how  this 
earth  with  its  possessions  is  to  be  prop- 
erly distributed  among  the  inhabitants 
thereof.  At  the  moment  our  present 
civilization  appears  to  have  become  de- 
moded and  everywhere  there  are  la- 
mentations and  bewildering  suggestions 
along  lines  of  "economic  balance." 

But  let  us  turn  our  attention  to  that 
smaller  world — the  home — which  in  a 


By 


Adah  R.  Naylor 


way  mirrors  in  miniature  many 
of  the  problems  of  the  big  world 
outside.  In  recent  years  our 
complicated  manner  of  living 
has  brought  about  many  chang- 
es within  the  home, — many  of 
them  have  not  been  changes  for 
the  better.  When  scientific  dis- 
coveries and  inventions  put  the 
whole  world  on  a  neighborly 
footing,  everything  about  us 
grew  so  suddenly  interesting  and 
get-at-able  that  we  all  at- 
tained a  look  of  wide-eyed  ex- 
pectancy, and  an  air  of  "what 
shall  we  do  next."  Pafher, 
mother,  brother,  sister  have  been 
so  busy  going  places  that  many 
homes  have  been  reduced  to  a 
few  small  rooms  in  an  apartment 
house  where  the  family  eats  oc- 
casionally and  sleeps  at  night. 

Isn't  it  possible  that  out  of 
this  so-called  depression  will 
come  a  saner  outlook  and  that 
people  in  general  will  go  back 
to  a  quiet  mode  of  living^  The 
home  then  will  once  again  be- 
come a  place  where  we  shall 
work  and  rest  and  play  and  find 
comfort  and  companionship  and 
joy. 

Who  Owns  the  Home? 

A/TOST  of  us  will  agree  that  the 
home  belongs  equally  to  all  the 
people  who  live  in  it,  but  this  isn't  as 
simple  as  it  may  sound.  When  you 
stop  to  consider  that  life  within  the 
home  must  be  arranged  to  permit  the 
living  together  of  individuals  of  all 
ages,  the  old  and  the  young,  the  mature 
and  the  adolescent,  and  that  each  must 
have  his  share  according  to  his  needs, 
you  realize  that  your  home  problem 
in  a  small  way  mirrors  the  problem 
of  the  world. 

The  Child  in  the  Home 

VI7HEN  a  child  is  born  into  a  home, 

that  home  belongs  to  him,  in  a 

community  sense.  Because  we  love  and 

cherish  that  which  belongs  to  us,  the 


child  who  is  trained  in  the  thought  of 
ownership  is  less  likely  to  injure  or 
damage  the  home  and  its  furnishings 
and  as  he  grows  older  he  will  give  more 
freely  of  himself  and  his  belongings  to 
beautify  and  improve  it.  Since  he  is 
to  spend  at  least  one-third  of  the  life 
span — and  the  most  important  period 
of  his  whole  existence,  in  his  child- 
hood home,  it  is  most  necessary  that 
he  has  the  feeling  of  "belonging" — of 
conjoint  ownership.  The  parent  who 
takes  the  attitude  of  "you  are  under 
my  roof"  is  storing  up  a  lot  of  grief 
for  himself  and  the  growing  child. 

How  We  Build  Our  Homes 

A/TOST  homes  are  managed  and  con- 
ducted for  adults.  All  houses 
are  built  for  adults — rooms,  windows, 
doors,  furniture — of  course  we  do  con- 
cede a  high  chair  and  a  small  bed, 
but  all  else  is  huge  beside  the  child, 
and  at  the  age  of  12  or  13  months 
when  his  appetite  for  knowledge  sends 
him  exploring  he  is  forced  to  reach, 
pull  and  climb  in  order  to  see,  touch 
and  smell  or  taste.  Too  often  his 
training  is  convenient  for  the  grown- 
ups rather  than  for  the  good  of  the 
child. 

Children  are  naturally  destructive, 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  de- 
structive and  constructive  impulses  are 
close  kin.  A  child's  eagerness  to  see, 
to  feel,  to  examine  and  take  a  part 
is  an  impulse  which  should  be  trained 
and  not  thwarted.  The  little  boy 
who  insisted  that  his  name  was  "No, 
no  Johnny"  reflected  a  dumb  mother. 

Training  the  Child 

npHE  modern  child  is  born  into  an 
intensively  social  world.  He  is 
immediately  surrounded  by  family, 
friends  and  neighbors  and  if  he  is  to 
be  happy  he  must  be  trained  to  adapt 
himself  to  his  surroundings.  Some 
children  have  the  faculty  of  adapting 
themselves  readily  to  their  environ 
ment,  they  early  show  a  natural  con 
sideration    for    others    and    acquire    Ji 


36 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


good  manner  easily.  Others  are  less 
fortunate,  often  because  of  illness,  or 
wrong  feeding  they  become  irritable 
and  are  unfriendly  toward  people,  and 
training  them  in  the  graces  of  living 
is  a  difficult  task. 

There  never  can  be  a  universal 
formula  given  for  training  children, 
since  no  two  children  come  into  the 
world  under  exactly  the  same  con- 
ditions, and  each  child  is  born  different 
from  every  other  child,  but  training 
both  in  morals  and  manners  must 
begin  at  birth  as  the  emotional  life  is 
then  simple  and  spontaneous  and  the 
trend  of  expression  is  easily   directed. 

Obedience 

/^vNE  of  the  first  needs  of  the  chiid 
*-^  is  to  be  trained  in  regularity — 
later  he  must  learn  to  obey.  The 
question  of  obedience  is  a  very  serious 
one  and  too  far-reaching  to  be  dis- 
cussed here.  It  must  suffice  to  say  that 
in  a  young  child  absolute  obedience 
must  be  required.  Since  he  is  not 
able  to  assume  the  responsibility  of 
his  own  acts,  his  health  and  well- 
being  depend  upon  his  following  the 
instructions  of  the  parent.  As  the 
child  grows  older  he  must  be  allowed 
to  develop  his  own  judgment  and  act 
on  it,  and  less  and  less  obedience  should 
be  required. 

Children  and  Play 

HPHE  adult  world  and  the  child 
world  have  little  in  common.  The 
whole  routine  of  home  life  holds  little 
that  is  of  interest  to  the  child,  and  he 
is  forced  to  create  a  world  of  his  own; 
this  he  does  through  play.  To  be 
interesting,  play  must  have  continu- 
ity and  an  interruption  in  play  is  to 
the  child  a  serious  thing.  I  have  a 
small  niece  who,  when  compelled  to 
stop  playing  always  pauses  before  she 
begins  again  and  says,  "Let  me  see, 
where  was  I  at?" 

The  hurried  mother  will  often  com- 
mand the  child  to  leave  his  play  and 
go  at  once  on  an  errand,  and,  irritated 
by  her  tone  of  voice  and  disturbed  by 
the  break  in  his  play,  he  gives  an 
impolite  answer  and  trouble  ensues. 
The  mother  who  is  considerate  enough 
to  say,  "When  you  have  finished  what 
you  are  doing  will  you  please  go  for 
me?"  or  "Can  you  go  for  me  at  once?" 
will  receive  a  polite  answer.  How 
can  we  teach  "good  manners"  unless 
we  ourselves  have  them?  Children  are 
imitative  little  animals  and  in  their 
behavior  is  mirrored  the  behavior  of 
the  people  around  them. 

Are  Children  Persons? 

XI  7"E  seldom  treat  them  as  such.  At 

"    the  dinner  table  if  an  adult  guest 

upsets   a   glass  of  water,   flooding  the 


surrounding  area,  confusion  and  apol- 
ogies follow.  "It  doesn't  matter," 
says  mother,  "the  cloth  isn't  injured, 
accidents  happen  to  everybody,"  etc. 
And  everthing  is  said  and  done,  that 
can  be  said  and  done  to  put  the  guest 
at  ease.  A  few  days  later  when  the 
family  are  dining  alone,  small  Mary 
upsets  her  glass  of  water,  and  is  round- 
ly scolded.  Says  mother:  "You're  a 
bad,  careless  girl  to  have  ruined  the 
lovely  fresh  cloth  and  caused  mother 
so  much  trouble,"  and  yet  we  know 
that  children  are  particularly  sensitive 
to  praise  or  blame.  Are  children  per- 
sons?     Let  us  treat   them   as  such. 

Our  Table  Manners 

TT  is  said  that  animals  feed — un- 
civilized  people  eat — persons  of  re- 
finement and  culture  dine.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  all  of  us  consume  food  daily, 
and  the  manner  in  which  we  do  it, 
adds  to,  or  detracts  from  the  physical 
pleasure  to  be  derived  from  eating. 
Much  of  our  social  life  centers  around 
the  "festive  board"  and  a  knowledge 
of  correct  table  manners  gives  us  an 
ease  and  a  poise  that  adds  much  to  our 
pleasure.  Then,  too,  our  table  eti- 
quette is  usually  regarded  by  strangers 
as  an  index  of  our  breeding,  so  I 
should  say  that  knowing  how  to  eat 
nicely    is    of   great   importance. 

Training  the  Child  to 
Eat  Correctly 

T  EARNING  to  eat  is  a  difficult  task, 
and  the  mother  must  give  thought, 
time  and  patience  to  the  small  child 
who  is  struggling]  to  feed  himself. 
Good  manners  are  not  things  that  can 
be  put  on  with  our  party  clothes — 
they  must  be  inbred  in  us — so  the 
time  to  learn  correct  table  manners  is 
when  we  first  learn  to  eat. 

The    first    lessons    should   be   given 


Note:  A  more  extensive  discussion  of 
this  subject  may  be  found  in  "The  Right 
Thing  at  All  Times,"  published  by  Gen. 
Boards  of  M.  I.  A. 


1  w 

v  Hp| 

111 

I 

W/Hm 
1 

i^B 

1 

1 

§ 

In 

WJs 

llMll 

ft?   / ' 

away  from  the  family  table  so  that 
the  mother  can  devote  all  her  time  to 
the  task.  At  first  the  child  is  given 
a  short-handled  baby  spoon  which  he 
can  clutch  tightly.  In  the  beginning 
the  spoon  will  go  into  his  mouth  end 
first,  but  later  when  he  is  better  able 
to  guide  his  hand  he  can  eat  from 
the  side.  He  must  be  trained  to  take 
a  small  amount  in  the  spoon,  dipping 
outward,  not  towards  him.  No  one 
can  convey  a  brimming  spoonful  of 
liquid  food  to  the  mouth  without 
spilling  it  and  a  heaping  spoonful  of 
semi-solids,  besides  looking  greedy,  is 
too  much  to  be  taken  into  the  mouth 
at  once. 

When  he  begins  eating  solid  foods 
he  may  be  given  a  "pusher"  which 
he  holds  in  his  left  hand  and  which 
aids  him  in  getting  his  food  into  the 
bowl  of  the  spoon. 

When  he  drinks  he  holds  the  mug 
or  glass  with  both  hands  until  the 
right  hand  is  strong  enough  to  manage 
it  alone.  Bread  and  butter  is  given 
him  in  small  bits.  He  must  be  trained 
to  chew  slowly,  keeping  the  mouth 
closed,  and  not  to  spill  or  smear.  One 
of  the  most  pernicious  habits  known 
is  that  of  giving  the  small  child  a 
large  piece  of  bread  spread  with  jam 
and  allowing  him  to  bite  into  it, 
smearing  himself  from  ear  to  ear. 

As  the  training  progresses  the  baby 
spoon  and  pusher  are  discarded  for  the 
fork,  spoon  and  knife.  The  bib  is 
removed,  a  napkin  is  given  him  and 
he  takes  his  place  at  the  table  where 
he  must  sit  quietly  and  eat  neatly. 
He  holds  the  fork  in  his  right  hand, 
much  the  same  way  that  he  holds  a 
pencil,  and  the  food  is  taken  up  to 
the  mouth  on  the  upturned  prongs. 
The  spoon  is  held  in  the  right  hand, 
and  when  not  in  use  is  placed  on  the 
plate  or  saucer  beside  the  cup. 

The  knife  is  used  very  little,  only 
for  cutting  those  things  that  cannot 
be  broken  with  the  edge  of  the  fork. 
When  he  has  cut  the  food  the  best 
method  to  follow  is  that  of  laying  the 
knife  on  the  plate,  and  transferring 
the  fork  to  the  right  hand  to  bring 
the  food  to  the  mouth.  This  Ameri- 
can manner  of  eating  is  frowned  on 
by  Europeans  and  called  "zigzag"  eat- 
ing. The  foreigner  after  cutting  the 
food  as  we  do  with  knife  in  right 
hand  and  fork  in  left  carries  the  food 
to  his  mouth  with  the  fork  still  held 
in  his  left  hand.  This  is  easier  and 
more  graceful  for  the  grown-up,  but 
two  implements  are  difficult  for  a  child 
to  manage  at  one  time,  and  he  will 
get  on  better  with  the  one-handed 
method. 

There  are  many  things  to  be  learned, 
aside  from  the  mere  mechanics  of 
eating. 

A  child  should  stand  at  his  place  at 
the  table  until  his  mother  and  the 
(Continued  on  page   64) 


Beauty  In  The  Wome 


cp 


II 


ROPORTION 


A  BEAUTIFUL  home,  whether 
modestly  or  elaborately  furn- 
ished, is  never  created  through 
hit  or  miss  buying  of  rugs,  wall  paper, 
furniture,  draperies  and  accessories,  but 
is  the  result  of  careful  buying,  good 
taste  being  the  chief  requisite.  Good 
taste  need  not  imply  a  full  pocket- 
book,  but  rather  the  application  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  art  of  which 
proportion  plays  a  very  important  role 
in  the  selection  of  everything  that  goes 
into  the  home. 

An  appreciation  of  proportion  en- 
ables one  to  distinguish  the  excellent 
from  the  mediocre,  and  to  select  un- 
hesitatingly from  a  dozen  chairs  the 
one  which  will  possess  the  attributes 
of  beauty  no  matter  how  old  it  may 
become. 

How  shall  we  define  proportion? 
There  are  many  definitions  which  are 
correct.       One    of    the    simplest    is — < 


No  matter  how  battered  its 
surface  may  become,  this 
chest  will  have  dignity,  for  it 
is  built  with  a  fine  under- 
standing of  proportion. 

'Proportion  is  the  Law  of  Relation- 
ship." 


By 

LUTIE  H.  FRYER 

Professor  of  Home  Economics 
University  of  Utah 


This  old  colonial  chest  will 
always  lay  claim  to  beauty. 

Every  time  two  or  more  things  are 
put  together,  proportions  are  estab- 
lished which  are  either  interesting  or 
uninteresting.  Some  people  almost  in- 
stinctively make  combinations  of 
things  which  please  the  eye,  but  the 
majority  of  people  have  to  acquire  this 
ability.  The  simplest  and  safest  meth- 
od of  acquiring  an  appreciation  for 
good  proportions  is  to  adopt  some 
standard  that  we  can  use  as  a  measur- 
ing stick  when  we  wish  to  judge  from 
an  aesthetic  standpoint. 

Ideal  Proportions 

nPHE  ancient  Greeks,  after  years  of 
study,  exhibited  good  spacing  in 
everything  they  made.  The  basis  for 
their  space  division  was  that  of  an 
oblong.     It  is  sometimes  called  "The 


Golden  Oblong,"  and  it  is  recognized 
even  today  as  a  standard  for  fine  space 
relationship.  The  measurements  of 
the  Greek  oblong  were  approximately 
two  units  on  the  short  side  and  three 
on  the  long  side.  It  is  more  beautiful 
than  a  square  because  the  equal  meas- 
urements of  a  square  are  too  obvious 
to  be  interesting. 

While  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  say 
that  only  certain  proportions  are  good, 
we   do    recognize    that   we    are   better 


Uninteresting  proportion 
accounts  for  the  lack  of 
beauty  in  this  piece  of  furni- 
ture. 

pleased  with  proportions  which  ap- 
proach those  which  the  Greeks  loved 
to  use  than  with  those  which  are  too 
far  away  from  them. 

Look  at  the  three  rectangles  in 
the  diagram.  In  the  first  rec- 
tangle the  height  is  exactly  twice  the 


38 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


width,  a  proportion  which  is  apparent 
at  a  glance  and  hence  not  interesting. 
The  second  rectangle  is  so  narrow  in 
proportion  to  its  height  that  we  feel 
that  there  is  no  relation  between  the 
two  dimensions.  In  the  third  rectangle, 
the  relation  is  sufficiently  close  for  us 
to  be  able  to  compare  them,  and  suf- 
ficiently different  so  that  we  do  not 
see  at  a  glance  what  this  relationship  is. 


T 


HE  marvelous  artist-scientist  Leon- 
ardo Da  Vinci,  after  making  a  care- 


These  diagrams  show  three  rec- 
tangular spaces;  the  first  is  uninter- 
esting; the  second  has  no  relation 
between  its  dimensions;  the  third  is 
pleasing  because  the  proportions  are 
not  obvious. 

ful  study  of  the  Greek  proportions 
formulated  this  ideal  relationship  thus: 
"Two  areas  or  lines  are  more  interest- 
ing and  comparable  when  one  of  them 
is  between  one-half  and  two-thirds  the 
area  or  length  of  the  other." 

We  do  not  have  to  look  far  to  find 
concrete  examples  of  beauty  in  propor- 
tion or  lack  of  it  in  the  average  home. 
A  bath  room  or  kitchen  that  has  the 


«i: 


This  kitchen  chair  has  unin- 
teresting, monotonous  space 
divisions.    It    is    commonplace. 


lower  part  of  the  wall  finished  in  oil- 
cloth or  tile  is  far  more  beautiful  if 
good  proportions  are  used.  Instead  of 
covering  the  lower  third  or  half  of  the 
wall  with  oil-cloth  or  tile,  it  should 
extend  somewhere  between  the,  lower 
third  and  half  the  height  of  the  wall, 
or  extend  up  somewhere  between  the 
half  way  line  and  two-thirds  the  height 
of  the  wall. 

Proportion  in  furniture  is  an  im- 
portant element.  One  piece  of  furni- 
ture may  be  uninteresting  and  ugly 
because  the  manufacturer  had  no 
knowledge  of  proportions  while  an- 
other piece  will  lay  claim  to  dignity 
and  beauty  for  it  was  built  with  a 
fine   understanding  of  proportion. 

Scale 

TN  addition  to  learning  how  to  cre- 
ate beautiful  space  relationship, 
there  is  a  sub-division  of  the  subject 
of  proportion  which  we  must  con- 
sider as  well.  This  is  known  as  scale, 
and  is  very  important  for  every  home 
maker.  Scale  refers  to  the  relative  sizes 
of  objects.  It  is  not  hard  to  find  many 
violations  of  good  taste  in  scale.  Too 
often  a  room  twelve  feet  by  sixteen 
or  even  smaller  contains  a  large  three- 
piece  over-stuffed  set  which  should 
have  been  used  in  a  room  twice  that 
size.  If  large  pieces  of  furniture  must 
be  used  in  a  small  room,  there  should 
be  the  fewest  possible  number  of  them, 
upholstered  in  an  inconspicuous  color 
and  pattern.  Some  people  have  the 
mistaken  idea  that  furniture,  to  be 
comfortable,  must  be  large.  This  false 
idea  has  led  people  who  live  in  average- 
sized  rooms  to  crowd  them  with  large 
bulky  pieces.  If  they  knew  that  com- 
fort is  more  a  matter  of  construction 
of  furniture  than  of  its  size,  and  that 
equal  comfort  can  be  obtained  with 
smaller  pieces,  our  small  home."  and 
apartment  houses  would  show  much 
better  scale,  and  hence  would  be  far 
more   attractive. 

Sometimes  we  see  a  lamp  used  in  a 
living  room  which  would  look  well  in 
the  lobby  of  a  hotel.  The  design  in 
the  wall  paper,  the  rug,  the  draperies 
and  the  upholstery  are  often  far  too 
large  for  the  room.  Good  scale  re- 
quires that  the  patterns  used  in  the 
room,  the  furniture  and  accessories 
should  be  in  good  proportion,  or  suit- 
able to  the  size  of  the  room. 

Correcting  Faulty 
Proportions 

/^\FTEN  the  problem  confronting 
^^^  the  home  maker  is  not  one  of 
buying  new  articles  which  represent 
good  proportion  but  of  correcting  the 
poor  proportions  of  what  she  already 
has.  It  may  be  the  room  itself.  It 
may  be  square  and  box-like,  or  long 


and  narrow,  either  of  which,  we  have- 
learned,  is  not  very  interesting.  A 
good  proportion  for  a  room  is  found 
in  the  relation  of  3:5.  The  ceiling 
may  be  too  low.     A  knowledge  of  the 


This  kitchen  chair  is  made 
interesting  by  means  of  varied 
space   relations. 

laws  of  proportion  may  help  to  cor- 
rect these  faults. 

A  room  apparently  may  be  short- 
ened by  placing  rugs  horizontally 
across  the  room  and  through  the  plac- 


This  is  a  distinctive  kitchen 
chair. 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


39 


ing  of  important  groups'  of  furniture 
against  the  wall  at  the  central  axis. 
Spots  of  bright  color  at  the  farther 
ends  of  the  room  will  decrease  its  ap- 
parent length  because  bright  colors  are 
advancing  colors  and  tend  to  bring 
nearer  that  portion  of  the  room  where 
they  are  used.  Too  much  pattern  tends 
to  decrease  the  apparent  size  of  a  room, 
for  large  patterns  need  space  to  be  ef- 
fective. Light  colors  will  increase  the 
apparent  size  while  dark  colors  seem 
to  decrease  the  size  of  a  room.  We 
must  not  overlook  the  trick  of  using 
mirrors  and  the  endless  vistas  they  open 
to  us.  Their  ability  to  give  a  sense 
of  spaciousness  simply  cannot  be 
slighted,  and  while  one  mirror  at  least 
is  a  necessity  to  every  small  room, 
many  times  two  may  be  used  with  a 
double  effectiveness  without  over-do- 
ing it.  The  use  of  carpet  instead  of 
a  rug  accentuates  the  long  unbroken 
lines  and  spaces  of  the  floor  as  well 
as  the  wall  and  hence  appears  to  in- 
crease the  size  of  the  room.  The 
carpet,  like  the  wall  paper,  should  be 
plain  or  have  an  almost  inconspicuous 
pattern. 

The  room  which  is  too  low  may 
have  panels  or  a  suggestion  of  stripes 
in  the  paper,  while  a  room  with  a 
ceiling  color  brought  part  way  down 
on  the  wall  will  appear  lower  than  the 
one  where  the  wall  paper  goes  to  the 
ceiling.  Windows  which  are  too  short 
should  have  long,  narrow  draperies  of 
vertical  stripes  with  no  valance;  a 
deep  valance  reduces  the  apparent 
height  of  a  window;  the  chair  which 
is  too  low  and  squatty  may  have  a 
narrow  vertically  striped  cover  as  wide 
stripes  have  the  tendency  to  carry  the 
eye  across  rather  than  up  and  down. 
Heavy  fabrics  with  a  pile  weave  such 


as  velours  and  heavy  velvets  when  used 
for  upholstering  and  draperies  have  a 
tendency  to  make  a  room  appear  small- 
er, while  plain  or  brocaded  silks  with 
small  patterns  cause  a  room  to  appear 
larger. 

Many  additional  applications  of  the 
principle  of  proportion  could  be  enu- 
merated but  all  that  is  necessary  for 
the  solution  of  such  problems  is  the 
knowledge  that: 

1 .  Proportion  deals  with  the  rela- 
tion of  the  parts  of  an  object  to  each 
other,  the  relation  of  objects  to  each 
other,   and  to  the  whole. 

2.  A  good  standard  which  can  be 
used  as  a  measuring  stick  to  judge  good 
proportion  is  the  law  of  Leonardo  Da 
Vinci:  Two  areas  or  lines  are  inter- 
esting and  comparable  when  one  of 
them  is  between  one-half  and  two- 
thirds  the  area  or  length  of  the  other. 

3.  Scale  refers  to  the  relative  size 
of  objects;  furniture,  lamps  and  other 
decorations  should  be  in  scale  with  the 
room. 

4.  It  is  possible  to  correct  poor  pro- 
portions of  a  room  by  various  optical 
illusions,  such  as  the  use  of  vertical 
lines  in  a  low  room,  horizontal  lines 
in  the  high  room,  extending  the  ceil- 
ing on  to  the  walls,  the  use  of  light 
colors  and  mirrors,   etc. 

The  simplest  as  well  as  the  more 
elaborate  home  will  gain  interest 
through  the  use  of  good  proportions. 

Objective  Test 

npHIS  test  is  given  in  the  form  of 
true  and  false  statements.  If  you 
think  the  statement  is  true  draw  a  cir- 
cle around  the  T,  if  you  think  it  is 
false  draw  a  circle  around  the  F. 


1 .  T.  F.  A  scarf  twenty-four 
inches  wide  and  forty-eight  inches 
long  would  present  interesting  propor- 
tion. 

2.  T.  F.  A  bureau  with  three 
drawers  equally  spaced  is  more  at- 
tractive than  one  with  the  drawers  in 
graduated   proportions. 

3.  T.  F.'  A  large  over-stuffed  sofa 
is  out  of  scale  in  a  small  living  room. 

4.  T.  F.  A  wide  valance  will  in- 
crease the  apparent  height  of  a  win- 
dow. 

5.  T.  F.  Light  colors  make  a  room 
appear   smaller. 

6.  T.  F.  Vertical  lines  in  window 
draperies  and  furniture  will  help  to 
create  an  impression  of  height. 

7.  T.  F.  If  one  is  unfortunate 
enough  to  have  too  large  furniture  for 
the  size  of  the  room,  it  should  be  up- 
holstered in  a  large  pattern  of  bright 
colors. 

8.  T.  F.  A  tiny  polka  dot  in  wall 
paper  in  a  large  room  is  an  example  of 
poor  scale. 

9.  T.  F.  Space  relationships  which 
are  not  understood  at  a  glance  are  apt 
to  be  more  pleasing  than  those  which 
are  too  easily  perceived. 

10.  T.  F.  A  room  15  feet  wide 
and  25  feet  long  is  a  well  proportioned 
room. 


Answers  to  October  Test: 


1.  Yes 

2.  No 

3.  Yes 

4.  No 

5.  Yes 

6.  Yes 

7.  No 

8.  No 


9.  Yes 

10.  Yes 

11.  Yes 

12.  Yes 

13.  Yes 

14.  No 

15.  Yes 


*>- 


«)<K*e!§Voi* 


-<» 


^President  Anthony  JV.  Ivins 


ilization  and  these  were  the  im- 
pressionable years  of  his  life.  As 
a  rancher  and  frontiersman  he 
knows  the  meaning  of  hard  service 
and  plain  fare.  For  long  periods 
he  has  slept  on  his  blankets  under 
the  quiet  stars,  drunk  the  brackish 
water  of  stagnant  pools,  ground 
in  his  teeth  the  bitter  alkali  from 
the  dust  of  the  trail  and  the  desert, 
and  through  it  all  has  developed 
the  fine  instincts  of  a  gentleman 
and  a  scholar. 

There  are  no  evidences  of  his 
rough  surroundings  in  his  appear- 
ance or  personality — he  has  gath- 
ered from  those  experiences  the 
manly  and  heroic  virtues  which 
underlie  sound  character  and  which 
are  so  admirably  built  into  the 
structure  of  his  own  life. 

This  many-sided  man,  educated 


on  the  plains  and  in  the  wilder- 
ness, is  at  ease  presiding  over  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  a  college, 
speaking  before  a  great  conference 
in  the  Tabernacle,  deliberating 
with  the  most  astute  financiers  and 
business  men  in  banking  and  mer- 
cantile directorates,  debating  na- 
tional issues  with  jurists  and 
statesmen,  or  sitting  in  the  highest 
councils  of  his  Church  passing  up- 
on deep  questions  of  doctrine  and 
policy  and  we  think  he  could  still 
shoe  a  horse  without  much  trouble 
and  make  a  good  job  of  it.  This 
is  the  miracle  of  his  life;  but  when 
you  know  the  man  there  is  nothing 
miraculous  about  it. 

HpHE  path  which  has  led  to  the 

summit  of  his  achievements  is 

not  only  a  long  and  devious  one 


Continued  from 
page  8 


but  in  many  places  a  rugged  one. 
Few  men  indeed  have  pursued  a 
harder  one  and  fewer  still  have 
emerged  from  such  surroundings 
with  so  much  that  is  really  fine 
and  admirable.  One  explanation 
of  it  all  is  the  fact  that  always 
and  everywhere  he  has  steadfastly 
maintained  the  standards  and  cher- 
ished the  ideals  of  the  great  Church 
to  which  he  belongs,  and  has  pru- 
dently and  industriously  cultivated 
the  great  powers  of  his  heart  and 
his  mind. 

To  modernize  the  tense  of 
Mark  Antony's  words  over  the 
mortal  remains  of  Brutus: 

"His  life  is  gentle:  and  the  elements 
So    mixed    in    him,    that    Nature   might 

stand  up 
And   say    to   all   the   world,    'This   is   a 
man.' 


CHURCH  MUSIC  COMMITTEE 


Some  Suggestions  in  Learning  Polyphonic  Music 


ALL  music  may  be  classified  un- 
der two  general  divisions — in 
fact,  everything  that  has  been 
composed  is  of  one  type  or  the  other. 
Musicians  call  music  either  mono- 
phonic  or  polyphonic.  The  terms  will 
be  easily  understood  if  they  are  taken 
apart  and  the  roots  from  which  they 
are  composed  defined.  "Phonic"  has 
to  do  with  sound,  and  in  these  words 
means  "voice,"  or  relates  to  a  melody 
that  would  be  sung  by  one  part,  or 
voice.  Monophonic  (or  commonly 
called  homophonic)  music  is  made  up 
of  one  melody,  accompanied  by  chords, 
or  unaccompanied,  as  the  case  may  be. 
Polyphonic  music  means,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  division  of  the  words  into 
its  constituent  parts,  "many- voiced" 
music,  or  composition  which  is  made 
up  of  more  than  one  melody  progress- 
ing at  the  same  time.  This  does  not 
mean  a  song,  for  instance,  that  may 
consist  of  several  parts,  each  one  of 
which  is  a  new  melody.  It  is  rather 
a  composition  made  up  of  one  princi- 
pal melody  and  one  or  more  second- 
ary melodies,  which  must  all  be  sung 
by  each  voice  employed  in  the  composi- 
tion. They  are  woven  together  so 
skilfully  that  the  whole  thing  is  most 
pleasing  to  the  ear. 

The  principal  melody  is  called  in 
technical  term  "cantus  firmus,"  mean- 
ing "fixed  melody,"  because  it  is 
against  this  melody  for  the  most  part 
that  the  secondary  melodies  are  writ- 
ten. In  the  evolution  of  music  term- 
inology we  find  that  our  technical 
terms,  coming  mostly  from  Latin  and 
Greek,  are  self-explanatory.  In  the 
early  days  a  note  was  called  a  point 
(original,  punctus) ,  and  the  practice 
of  writing  one  melody  against  an- 
other, or  literally,  note  against  note, 
came  to  be  termed  counterpoint 
(counter-against:  point-note),  from 
the  original  Latin  "punctus  contra 
punctum."  Later  the  secondary  melo- 
dies became  known  as  "counterpoints," 
"first  counterpoint,"  "second  counter- 
point," etc. 

The  student  must  not  expect  the 
melodies  in  polyphony  to  be  as  com- 
plete and  lengthy  as  the  melodies  in 
monophony.  Because  of  the  complex 
laws  of  writing  in  polyphony  the 
melodies  are  made  quite  short  and 
pungent,  so  that  they  are  easily  recog- 
nized and  manipulated  in  the  process 
of  composition.  Nevertheless  they  are 
to  be  considered  as  melodies  and  it  is 
out  of  these  melodies,  both  as  a  whole 


and  from  fragments  of  them,  that  poly- 
phonic compositions  are  made.  A  mod- 
ern theorist  has  defined  counterpoint  as 
the  art  of  combining  melodies,  and 
this  definition  offers  the  key  to  the 
proper  appreciation  of  polyphonic  mu- 
sic. Also,  the  student  must  not  imag- 
ine that  a  counter  melody  such  as  an 
alto  part  to  a  soprano  melody  is  poly- 
phony. In  this  case  the  alto  can  be 
accounted  for  by  harmony,  and  is  not 
comparable  to  the  use  of  another 
melody  sung  against  the  cantus  firmus 
of  a  polyphonic  composition. 

Any  folk  song  is  a  good  example  of 
monophony,  for  instance,  "Annie 
Laurie."  Here  there  is  only  one  melody 
and  it  is  accompanied  not  by  other 
melodies,  but  by  chords.  This  fact 
will  be  clear  if  the  student  will  try 
singing  the  other  parts — the  accom- 
paniment. Even  if  it  be  arranged  for 
four  parts  it  will  be  seen  that  all  parts 
except  the  melody  are  quite  mono- 
tonous and  have  none  of  the  individ- 
ual characteristics  that  are  found  in  a 
well-defined  melody.  It  is  not  the 
purpose  here  to  attempt  any  lengthy 
description  of  the  construction  of  a 
polyphonic  composition,  because  it  is 
a  complex,  comprehensive  science — in 
fact  this  type  of  music  is  the  highest 
kind  of  intellectual  accomplishment, 
because  it  would  be  futile  to  attempt 
more  than  to  explain  such  general 
things  about  polyphony  as  will  make 
the  suggestions  given  later  clear  and 
helpful  to  the  chorister.  The  best  ap- 
proach to  a  composition  in  polyphony, 
without  being  truly  such  a  composi- 
tion, is  the  ordinary  "round"  which 
all  have  sung  in  community  singing. 
If  the  student  will  go  over  this  song 
in  his  mind  he  will  have  somewhat  of 
an  idea  of  how  the  whole  is  produced 
by  all  parts  contributing  melody. 

As  material  through  which  to  make 
the   suggestions   about  learning   poly- 


Evening  Star 

A  FAINT    glimmer    in    the    western 
sky; 
A  fainter  sound,  of  fading  melody. 
A  sweet  voice  whispers  within 
Tender    memories. 
A   silver-tipped   cloud 
Now  hides  that  little  lamp — ■ 
The    Evening    Star — 
And   memory   fades. 

— H.  Edwin  Bridge. 


phonic  music  we  shall  take  a  compo- 
sition that  is  known  and  studied  ev- 
erywhere, the  "Hallelujah"  chorus 
from  Handel's  "Messiah,"  which  the 
student  is  asked  to  turn  to  as  he  reads 
from  this  point  on.  The  first  twenty- 
one  measures  offer  no  difficulty  that  is 
not  encountered  in  any  piece  of  sim- 
ilar music  built  out  of  chords.  But 
at  measure  seventeen  on  the  words  "for 
the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth" 
begins  a  musical  phrase  which  is  used 
in  all  parts.  It  should  be  learned  by 
every  part  so  that  it  is  recognized 
whenever  it  appears.  Likewise  the 
short  phrases  on  the  word  "hallelujah" 
occur  in  every  part  repeatedly,  and 
should  be  learned  in  all  parts  at  once. 
The  recurrence  of  these  melodies  does 
not  occur  in  the  same  key  all  the  time 
— this  should  be  noted  and  drawn  to 
the  singers'  attention.  Illustrate  what 
it  means  to  transpose  a  melody  by  hav- 
ing the  group  sing  any  well-known 
tune  in  several  different  keys  in  suc- 
cession. They  will  soon  see  that  a 
melody  or  phrase  can  be  sung  in  any 
key. 

Beginning  at  measure  twenty-two 
and  continuing  to  measure  thirty-two 
the  entire  music  is  made  up  of  these 
two  melodies  that  have  been  mention- 
ed. The  next  eight  measures  are  like 
a  hymn,  so  they  offer  no  difficulty.  Be- 
ginning now  at  measure  forty-one  we 
have  the  most  powerful  melody  in  the 
composition.  It  should  be  learned 
right  at  first  by  all  parts,  singing  it  in 
various  keys  so  as  to  accommodate  the 
range  of  the  different  voices.  It  will 
be  noted  that  every  time  a  voice  sings 
the  words  "and  He  shall  reign  for  ever 
and  ever"  they  are  given  to  this 
melody.  If  the  singers  will  remember 
this  it  will  greatly  simplify  the  learn- 
ing of  this  kind  of  music.  This  melody 
in  this  particular  part  is  solid  and  sub- 
stantial, and  around  this  the  other 
voices  sing  shorter  and  less  important 
phrases.  Let  the  singers  be  drilled  now 
on  the  phrases  that  say  "forever"  and 
"hallelujah"  and  the  singers  will  soon 
see  that  by  learning  the  melodies,  great- 
er and  lesser  in  importance,  they  have 
mastered  the  melodic  content  of  the 
whole  composition  and  now  all  that 
remains  is  to  put  the  whole  together. 
Certainly  this  is  more  simple  than  to 
try  to  read  each  individual  note  irre- 
spective of  its  relationship  to  another. 
It  will  also  be  seen  how  really  simple 
the  component  elements  of  a  really 
great  piece  of  music  are. 


IPIRII ESTHOOD  QUORUMS- 

Ail  Melchizedek  Priesthood  material  is  prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve; 
X""^V      _^  and  all  Aaronic  Priesthood  material  is  prepared   under  the  direction  of   the  Presiding  Bishopric.  ^<"— v 


^\NCE   there   was   a   Chinese.      His 
name   was   Confucius.      He   lived 
a     long    time     ago,     centuries    before' 
Christ. 

He  was  not  a  great  reader,  for  there 
were  not  many  written  records  in 
his  day.  But  he  thought  and  medi- 
tated a  great  deal,  and  set  down  his 
thoughts  in  a  book,  which  we  may 
read  today. 

The  result  of  his  thinking  was  a 
philosophy  of  life.  Now,  a  philosophy 
of  life  is  something  everyone  has; 
only  he  does  not  always  know  it.  The 
rules  by  which  you  play  the  game 
of  life,  as  some  people  say, — that  is 
your  philosophy  of  life. 


Chain  Influence 

Well,  Confucius  had  a  philosophy 
of  life.  He  did  not  call  it  by  that 
name,  but  that  is  what  it  was  never- 
theless. One  of  the  things,  for  in- 
stance, in  this  philosophy  was  that 
what  you  don't  want  others  to  do  to 
you,  you  should  not  do  to  them. 
In  essence  it  is  the  same  as  the  Golden 
Rule,  as  announced  by  Jesus,  but 
put  backwards,  so  to  speak. 

Naturally  the  Chinese  sage  felt  as 
if  he  ought  to  let  other  people  know 
the  things  that  had  made  him  so 
happy.  That  is  the  way  of  the  human 
mind,  it  seems,  in  every  age.  But  he 
went  about  the  matter  of  making  his 
ideas  known  in  a  very  strange  man- 
ner. 


Choosing  one  of  his  closest  friends, 
he  told  him  his  ideas  on  life.  His 
friend  believed. 

"Now,"  said  Confucius,  "since  you 
believe  my  doctrine,  let  us  both  go 
out  and  convert  two  more,  one  each." 

And  this  was  agreed  to. 

When  two  others  believed,  there 
were  now  four  persons  who  were  con- 
verts to  the  new  faith.  These  four, 
like  the  two,  went  out  and  got  four 
more  to  believe.  Then  there  were 
eight. 

This  thing  was  kept  up,  we  are 
told,  till  millions  of  people  accepted 
the  philosophy  of  life  promulgated 
by  the  great  Chinese. 


Are  You  a  Leader  or  a  Follower? 


A  LL  told,  there  are  in  the  Church 
about  seventy-five  thousand  dea- 
cons, teachers,  and  priests.  You  are 
a  member  of  this  large  army,  if  you 
are  a  member  of  one  of  these  quorums. 

These  boys  and  young  men  are  the 
leaders  of  the  future.  The  burden  of 
the  work  of  the  Church  will  rest  on 
their  shoulders.  At  home  and  abroad 
they  will  teach,  preach  and  baptize. 

In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  man 
who  leads  was  once  a  boy  who  led. 
As  men  look  up  to  him  for  leadership 
today,  so  boys  looked  up  to  him  for 
leadership  years  ago.  No  man  ever 
developed  leadership  all  of  a  sudden. 
The  opportunity  may  come  in  a  mo- 


ment, but  leadership  was  ready  to  take 
advantage  of  the  opportunity.  All  the 
time  the  leader  was  practicing  leader- 
ship. 

Now,  a  leader,  whether  boy  or 
man,    always   has   the   same   qualities. 

First  of  all,  he  must  know.  No 
one  with  any  sense  ever  follows  an 
ignoramus.  Then,  he  must  see  clearly. 
Lincoln  never  did  anything  of  great 
moment  without  seeing  his  way 
through  to  the  end.  Next,  he  must 
have  courage.  Fear  never  gets  any 
one  anywhere — unless  it  is  the  "fear" 
of  God.  Knowledge,  vision,  courage 
— these  are  the  key  to  leadership.  Of 
course,   these  imply,   in  the  long  run, 


the  element  of  moral  character.  Moral 
worth  is  the  greatest  replenisher  of 
strength. 

Suppose,  now,  a  deacon,  a  teacher, 
and  a  priest  in  every  ward  or,  at  least, 
in  every  stake  should  do  like  Con- 
fucius— first,  make  up  his  mind  on 
something  he  believes  ought  to  be 
thought  or  done  among  those  of  his 
own  group,  whether  or  not  they  be- 
long to  the  Priesthood,  and  then 
endeavor  to  convince  one  of  them 
after  another  that  his  idea  of  service 
among  boys  and  young  men  is  right. 

There  would  be  a  power  that  would 
move  the  earth. 


The  Ordained  Teacher 


TN  the  Thirty-third  ward,  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  the  ordained  teacher 
takes  his  place  in  the  great  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church  by  actually  going 
out  block-teaching.  No  doubt,  he 
does  so  in  other  wards,  too,  but  in  this 
particular  ward,  he  is  meeting  with 
unusual  success. 

Once  a  month  he  goes  out  on  his 
block.  Sometimes  he  goes  with  an 
older  man,  often  called  a  "teacher" 
merely,  without  the  adjective  "or- 
dained" before  it.  But  often  he  goes 
out  with  another  ordained  teacher  as 
his  companion. 

But  before  he  goes  he  prepares  on 
the  subject  that  has  been  chosen  for 
the  month;  for  the  Liberty  stake,  in 
which  this  ward  is,  selects  a  theme 
for  each  month,   to  serve  as  a  subject 


of  conversation — a  thing  that  is  rather 
common  nowadays. 

Often  the  teacher  is  a  high  school 
student,  and,  as  such,  is  able  to  make 
a  pretty  good  study  of  the  subject. 
He  looks  up  references,  if  any,  and 
consults  the  wisdom  of  older  men. 
Hence,  when  he  enters  a  home  in  his 
capacity  of  teacher,  he  can  teach. 

At  first,  there  was  no  small  amount 
of  timidity  on  the  part  of  the  ordained 
teacher  in  this  undertaking.  But  the 
kindly  reception  he  got  from   almost 


The  Lord  Says— 

"Tobacco  is  not  good  for  man,  but 
for  bruises  and  sick  cattle." 


everybody  soon  enabled  him  to  gather 
courage.  And  now  there  is  little  else 
than  pleasure  for  him  in  the  work. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  young 
man  who  goes  on  his  block  as  a  teacher 
often  has  a  new  approach  to  his  sub- 
ject. At  least,  he  looks  at  it  from  a 
different  point  of  view  sometimes  from 
that  which  is  entertained  by  older 
people.  And  naturally,  too,  he  appeals 
to  those  of  his  own  age  and  experi- 
ence in  the  home. 

This  is  probably  the  key  to  his  fa- 
vorable reception. 

Find  the  answers  to  these: 

( 1 )  Who  is  the  presiding  bishop 
of  the  Church?  Who  are  his  coun- 
selors? 

(2)  Find  out  something  interest- 
ing about  each  one  of  these  brethren. 


42 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


QGDEN  STAKE— Eighth  Ward 
^  — Priesthood  Contest:  From 
Chairman  W.  W.  Rawson  of  the  Stake 
Priesthood  Committee  we  learn  that 
the  Aaronic  Priesthood  of  that  ward 
challenged  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
to  a  contest  for  attendance  at  ward 
Priesthood  meetings,  Sunday  School, 
Sacrament  meetings  and  for  ward 
teaching  for  a  period  of  six  months. 
At  the  end  of  the  six  months  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  had  an  average 
attendance  of  3  1  %  at  the  three  meet- 
ings and  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
29%,  and  the  young  men  had  com- 
pleted their  ward  teaching  first  every 
month.  Hence  they  won  the  contest. 
The  losers  were  to  furnish  straw- 
berries and  cream  for  the  winners  and 
their  mothers  and  Boston  baked  beans 
for  themselves.  A  very  interesting 
banquet  resulted  where  the  boys  with 
their  mothers  ate  strawberries  and 
cream  and  the  fathers  and  the  Mel- 
chizedek Priesthood  sat  on  the  other 
side  of  the  table  and  ate  baked  beans. 
We  believe  that  the  result  of  this 
activity  will  be  to  stimulate  greater 
interest  and  enthusiasm  among  the 
young  men. 

pLEASANT  VIEW  WARD  OUT- 
r  ING  (Ogden  Stake):  The  fol- 
lowing description  of  a  visit  to  the 
grave  of  Martin  Harris  is  given  here- 
with: 

Under  the  direction  of  David  J. 
Johns,  Supervisor  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  Reuben  G.  Rhees,  second 
counselor  in  the  ward  bishopric,  John 
Mathews,  and  Mac  M.  Wade,  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  Committee,  a 
group  of  Aaronic  Priesthood  boys  left 
the  Pleasant  View  ward  meeting  house. 
Ogden  Stake,  July  10,  1931,  at  7:30 
a.  m.  to  pay  tribute  to  one  of  the 
three  special  witnesses  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  It  was  just  a  joyous 
band  of  young  men  on  the  threshold 
of  life,  going  to  the  graveside  of  Mar- 
tin  Harris. 

Soon  we  were  off  ^_ 
for  Clarkston,  Utah, 
about  twenty  -  nine 
miles  northwest  of 
Logan.  As  we  rode 
along  in  a  large 
school  bus  we  were 
reminded  of  the  time 
when  the  pioneers 
trudged  that  part  of 
the  country  to  settle 
Cache  Valley.  We 
wondered  what  some 
of  those  gallant  souls 
would  say  if  they 
had  the  privilege  of 
riding  with  us  now. 

The  weather  was 
splendid,  there  was 
not  a   cloud   in   the 


Field  Notes 

sky.  To  Logan  was  a  pleasant  ride  and 
outside  of  one  "blowout  '  we  got  along 
fine.  From  Logan  we  went  to  Smithfield 
where  we  met  Brother  William  Pilk- 
ington,  a  man  who  spent  his  boyhood 
days  and  the  earlier  part  of  his  life 
in  the  home  of  Martin  Harris.  He 
had,  through  special  arrangement  of 
our  Aaronic  Priesthood  Supervisor, 
consented  to  go  with  us. 

After  traveling  a  little  longer  we 
finally  reached  Clarkston.  Here  we 
met  as  our  special  guests  Brother  Wil- 
ford  W.  Rawson,  Chairman  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  Committee  of  the 
Ogden  stake,  Brother  Frederick  Barker, 
Brother  Albert  Foulger,  Associate 
Committeman,  also  the  wives  of 
Brothers  Barker  and  Foulger,  and 
Brother  Thomas  Godfrey,  son  of  John 
Godfrey,  one  of  the  men  that  was  in 
the  room  on  July  9,  1875,  and  heard 
the  testimony  that  Brother  Harris  bore 
on  that  date,  the  day  previous  to  his 
death. 

After  eating  lunch  in  the  Clarkston 
Church  Yard,  we  went  to  the  Ceme- 
tery. Here  stands  a  tail  monument 
designating  the  final  resting  place  of 
Martin  Harris.  We  gathered  around 
the  grave  and  sang  "We  Thank  Thee 
O  God  For  A  Prophet,"  after  which 
Brother  Barker  opened  the  services 
with  prayer.  Can  you  imagine  the 
profound  feeling  of  reverence  which 
entered  our  souls  as  Brother  Johns 
said,  "Boys  we  are  standing  for  the 
first  time  in  our  lives,  as  a  group,  by 
the  graveside  of  a  man  who  saw  an 
angel,  who  had  (been  sent  from  our 
Heavenly  Father;  a  man  that  saw  the 
golden  plates  that  held  the  story  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon." 
'  William  Bates,  a  deacon,  gave  a  talk 
on  the  life  of  Martin  Harris.  The 
next  speaker,  George  Tucker,  a  priest, 
told  of  the  presentation  of  some  of 
the  characters  copied  by  the  Prophet 
from  the  plates,  with  the  accompany- 
ing translation  to  Professor  Anthon 
of    Columbia    University;    and    of    fi- 


J#W 


Aaronic  Priesthood,  Pleasant   View  Ward,  at  Martin  Harris  Grave 


nancial  aid  given  the  Prophet  Joseph 
by  Martin  Harris.  Lewis  Cragun,  a 
priest,  narrated  the  circumstances  con- 
nected with  the  choosing  of  the  Three 
Witnesses,  and  the  receiving  of  their 
testimonies.  LeGrand  Johns,  a  priest, 
repeated  the  testimony  of  the  Three 
Witnesses  and  discussed  its  significance. 
Perry  Barker,  a  priest,  told  of  Martin 
Harris'  subsequent  life  and  testimonies. 
Riley  Shaw,  a  deacon,  recited  a  poem 
entitled  "The  Book  of  Mormon."  Af- 
,ter  this  part  of  the  program  given  by 
the  boys,  Mac  M.  Wade  placed  a  floral 
tribute  on  the  grave  and  called  for  one 
minute  of  silence  in  reverence  to  this 
honored  man,  during  which  time  we 
were  permitted  to  review  in  our  minds 
the  incidents  that  had  been  called  to 
our  attention  in  the  foregoing  pro- 
gram. Brother  Reuben  G.  Rhees  rep- 
resenting the  ward  bishopric,  next 
spoke,  impressing  upon  the  boys  the 
sacredness  of  the  occasion,  insuring 
all  present  the  sympathy  and  co-opera- 
tion of  the  ward  bishopric  in  this  and 
all  other  progressive  movements  which 
would  tend  to  increase  faith  and  de- 
votion in  the  lives  of  our  young  men. 

Brother    William    Pilkington    then 
told  of  his  boyhood  days  in  the  Harris 
home,   and  of  the  many,   many  times 
that   the   aged  witness  had  told  him, 
with  tearful  eyes,    of  the  events   that 
happened    at    the    time    the   Book    of 
Mormon  was  translated;   of  his  testi- 
mony and  how  he  wished  it  were  pos- 
sible for  him  to  tell  the  entire  world* 
Brother  Thomas  Godfrey  told  of  his 
living  near  the  Harris  home,  and  how 
he    had    asked    Martin    Harris    if    he 
believed  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  be 
true,    and    he    said    that    the    witness 
replied,     "No,     I    do    not    believe    it, 
knowledge  supersedes  belief.     I  know 
it  is  true.      The  angel  showed  me  the 
plates  and  I  heard   the  voice   of  God 
declare  they  were  translated  correctly." 
There    was   certainly   not   a    young 
man,    nor   any   member   present    who 
went  away  from  that  silent  tomb  but 
who  had  a  desire  in 
his   heart   to    live    a 
cleaner     and     better 
life.      Thus    we    re- 
H       turned  home  with  a 
goal  in  view  and  a 
determination         t  o 
fW  '  reach  our  goal. 

The  trip  was  fi- 
nanced by  the  pres- 
entation of  three 
one-act  plays  by 
members  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood, 
with  all  participat- 
ing. The  plays  were 
presented  during  the 
past  winter. 


MUTUAL  MESSAGES 


General  Superintendency 
Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 

George  Albert  Smith, 
Richard  R.  Lyman, 
Melvin  J.  Ballard, 

Executive  Secretary: 

Oscar  a.  Kirkham 


Executive  Department 

General  Offices  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A. 

47  East  South  Temple  Street 

General  Offices  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 

3  3  Bishop's  Building 
SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 


General  Presidency 
Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 

Ruth  May  Fox, 
Lucy  Grant  Cannon, 
Clarissa  A.  Beesley, 

General  Secretary: 

Elsie  Hogan 


Co-operation  in  Carrying  Responsibility 


TN  the  new  M.  I.  A.  Hand  Book, 
"*■  page  20,  is  a  diagram  showing  di- 
vision of  responsibility  to  executives 
and  indicating  the  same  assignments  of 
responsibility  to  the  leaders  of  the  vari- 
ous departments. 

Executives  and 
Class_Discussion  Leaders 

POLUMN  two  refers  to  those  mem- 
bers  of  the  presidency  who  have 
charge  of  membership,  attendance,  the 
weekly  study  program,  the  department 
projects,  and  the  reading  course  books. 
It  will  be  recognized  at  once  that  the 
duties  here  listed  are  of  the  utmost 
importance  and  require  weekly  atten- 
tion. 

Membership  and  attendance  consti- 
tute the  background  of  all  of  our 
work.  Under  the  direction  of  two 
members  of  the  executives  and  the  sec- 
retaries each  department  should  be  con- 
stantly endeavoring  to  increase  the 
membership  by  providing  rich,  inter- 
esting material  for  each  evening's  dis- 
cussions and  also  by  personal  contact 
with  those  not  already  enrolled.  Com- 
mittees may  be  formed  of  department 
members  who  will  devise  means  of 
reaching  all  who  should  be  enrolled 
in  their  several  groups.  Publicity  di- 
rectors also  will  be  glad  to  assist  in 
this  important  work.  The  attendance 
should  be  watched,  such  questions  as 
these  being  asked  each  week:  Are  those 
whose  names  appear  upon  the  roll  in 
attendance?  Are  half  of  them  present? 
Are  two-thirds  of  them  present? 
Three-fourths?  Where  are  the  oth- 
ers? 

The  weekly  study  program  covers 
more  than  half  of  the  time  allotted  to 
our  regular  meetings  and  is  of  vital  im- 
portance. Counselors  in  charge  of  this 
work  have  an  opportunity  to  build 
up  the  teaching  power  of  the  class  lead- 
ers to  the  highest  point  of  efficiency. 
It  is  advisable,  as  suggested  in  the  Hand 
Book,  page  27,  that  class  discussion 
leaders   meetings   be   held   occasionally 


during  the  half  hour  activity  period  to 
consider  methods  for  carrying  forward 
this  work. 

The  projects  and  the  reading  course 
books  also  come  under  the  direction  of 
this  group  of  leaders.  They  should 
also  be  familiar  with  the  plan  of  the 
achievement  report  which  provides  that 
all  departments  shall  work  to  reach  cer- 
tain goals  at  given  periods  during  the 
year. 

Are  You  Secretary? 

TF  you  are,  you  are  a  valued  officer 
in  the  M.  I.  A.  You  have  been 
selected  for  this  position  because  of 
your  fine  character  and  your  business- 
like qualification.  It  was  felt  that  you 
could  be  depended  upon  to  attend  all 
meetings  and  to  make  accurate  record 
of  all  transactions,  and  that  you  would 
be  willing  to  spend  whatever  time 
might  be  necessary  for  the  performing 
of  secretarial  duties. 

If  you  are  to  be  successful  and  truly 
enjoy  your  work  you  will  be  keenly 
interested  in  the  entire  program  of  the 
organization  and  will  inform  yourself 
thoroughly  concerning  it.  You  will 
realize  that  you  are  the  history-keeper 
of  the  organization  and  that  the  man- 
ner in  which  you  record  its  accom- 
plishments is  most  important.  Your 
record  must  be  clear  and  true,  so  that 
those  who  read  in  future  years  may 
have  an  accurate  account  of  all  that 
has  been  done.  You  will  be  careful 
about  details  so  that  your  record  will 
be  as  easily  understood  years  hence  as 
it  is  now.  For  example,  you  will  not 
write  in  your  minutes  that  "Sister 
Brown"  took  charge  of  the  meeting  on 
a  certain  date,  for  while  everyone  to- 
day might  know  of  whom  you  are 
speaking,  ten  years  from  now  perhaps 
Sister  Brown  will  be  dead  or  will  have 
moved  away;  there  will  be  new  offi- 
cers and  perhaps  no  one  will  know  to 
whom  the  record  refers. 

You  have  a  splendid  opportunity  to 
assist  in  carrying  forward  our  program. 
If  your  organization  is  to  attain  suc- 
cess you  must  always  be  planning  and 


looking  ahead.      The  monthly  report 
will  help  you   to   do  this  very  thing. 
It  gives  a  prospectus  of  the  M.  I.  A. 
program  for   the   entire  year.      Secre- 
taries, here  is  your  opportunity  month 
by  month  to  check  on  the  general  con- 
duct of  the  program  and  to  call  atten- 
tion from  time  to  time  to  the  various 
items  to  be  given  special  attention.  For 
instance:  Is  your  ward  carrying  on  the 
half-hour  activity  program?     Are  you 
making  plans  now  to  collect  your  an- 
nual   fund    in    November?      Are   you 
planning  now  for  your  Thanksgiving 
Ball,  your  Christmas  Ball?     The  Jan- 
uary report  asks  whether  or  not  you 
have  held  the  Gold  and  Green  Ball — 
February,  the  Valentine  Ball.     The  de- 
partments are  expected  to  begin  work- 
ing at  once  on  their  projects.     Remind 
your  officers  that  a  report  is  called  for 
on   the  projects   in  March.      In  April 
you   are   to  report   the   reading  course 
books  read  in  your  ward.     What  ar- 
rangements  have   been   made   in   your 
ward  for  circulating  these  books?  Have 
you  asked  the  departments  to  keep  ac- 
curate record  of  how  many  are  read, 
so  that  your  report  may  be  complete? 
In  April  you  will  also  report  the  suc- 
cess of  your  Ward  Honor  day.      In 
order  to  make  an  intelligent  report  on 
this  phase  of  Mutual  work  you  must 
necessarily  begin  now  to  keep  a  record 
of   all   individuals   who   have   reached 
"A"  Standard. 

Do  you  always  prepare  your  reports 
on  time,  so  that  your  stake  may  be 
properly  represented  in  the  general  rec- 
ords. "Do  it  now,"  is  an  old  but  fine 
axiom  to  follow.  We  have  commenced 
another  splendid  season  in  M.  I.  A. 
Great  things  are  to  be  accomplished 
this  year  under  united  effort,  and  no 
one  will  contribute  more  to  the  gen- 
eral success  than  the  faithful,  efficient 
secretary. 

M.  I.  A.  in 

the  Northwest 

'TPHE  Mutual  Improvement  Associa- 

tion   is   advancing   steadily   in   the 

Northwestern     States     Mission.       We 


44 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


have  twenty-two  Mutuals  at  present 
and  are  contemplating  the  organization 
of  a  few  more.  Two  new  ones  were 
organized  recently  in  Helena  and  Mis- 
soula, Montana.  Everyone  ■  seems 
enthusiastic  over  the  splendid  Mutual 
program  for  this  year  and  are  anxious 
to  be  a  part  of  it.  The  completeness 
of  the  recreational  program  gives  our 
people  something  that  has  been  lacking 
in  their  lives.  During  a  recent  tour 
of  the  Mutuals  in  Montana  the  recrea- 
tional program  was  introduced  by  the 
Mission  Superintendent  of  Y.  M.  M. 
I.  A.  and  President  of  the  Y.  L.  M.  I. 
A.  Practical  demonstrations  were  given 
in  each  of  the  nine  Mutuals.  The 
Contest  Dance,  Senorita  Mia,  was 
demonstrated  and  taught  to  a  few 
couples  in  each  branch.  It  is  very 
popular  already  and  the  young  people 
seem  to  be  able  to  pick  it  up  very  rap- 
idly. 

An  M.  I.  A.  Convention  was  held 
in  Great  Falls  for  all  the  Mutuals  of 
northern  Montana.  Two  sessions  were 
held,  the  one  in  the  afternoon  was  de- 
voted to  details  of  M.  I.  A.  and  de- 
partmental discussions.  The  various 
phases  of  the  program,  being  treated 
by  officers  of  the  attending  Mutuals 
who  had  been  assigned  in  advance, 
were  very  well  prepared.  Era,  Publicity 
and  Finance  were  discussed  very  ably 
as  was  the  work  in  the  departments. 

In  the  evening  a  splendid  program 
was  given,  the  features  of  which  were 
musical  selections,  short  talks,  double 
mixed  quartette,  and  a  quartette.  The 
new  M.  I.  A.  song,  The  Challenge, 
was  rendered  as  a  duet  and  the  entire 
affair  was  regarded  as  a  great  success. 

Outline  of  Program  for 
Sunday  Evening  Conjoint 
Meeting  in  December 

General  Themes: 

The  Doctrine  of  Immortality  or 
Life  After  Death. 

Opening  Exercises: 

1.  Singing:  M.  I.  A.  Song  "Carry 
On" — suited  to  the  theme. 

2.  Invocation. 

3.  Music.  If  vocal  solo,  "I  Know 
That  My  Redeemer  Lives." 

4.  Presentation   of  Slogan. 

5.  Ten  minute  talk  on  "Life  Here- 
after" from  a  Literary  and  Philo- 
sophical Point  of  View.  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 

6.  Twenty  Minute  Discourse  on 
"Immortality  from  a  Scriptural  Point 
of  View."  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  Prefer- 
ably by  a  returned  missionary. 

7.  Three  Minute  Testimony  or  ex- 
perience concerning  immortality.  Y. 
L.  M.  I.  A. 

8.  Three  Minute  Testimony  or  ex- 
perience concerning  immortality.  Y. 
M.  M.  I.  A. 

9.  Singing — last  two  verses  of 
hymn,  "O,  My  Father." 

10.  Benediction. 


Some  Helpful  Material 

Immortality  or  Life  After  Death 

This  doctrine  has  engaged  the  mind 
of  man  from  the  beginning.  Its  field 
of  interest  includes  all  mankind,  en- 
gaging the  mind  of  the  savage  and  the 
civilian  alike.  It  has  been  the  theme 
of  poets  and  the  problem  of  philoso- 
phers. Painters  have  made  it  an  ob- 
jective of  their  art  and  prophets  have 
echoed  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty 
in  proclaiming  it. 

The  nature  of  mankind  calls  for  im- 
mortality: 

"For    who    to    dumb    forgetfulness    a 

prey 

This   pleasing   anxious   being   e'er   re- 
signed; 
Left  the  warm  precincts  of  the  cheer- 
ful day, 
Nor  cast  one   longing,    lingering   look 
behind:'" 

■ — Grey. 

There  is  a  universal  yearning  for 
the  continuance  of  life  and  a  Nature 
that  would  create  the  yearning  with- 
out providing  for  its  fulfilment  would 
by  reason  stand  convicted  of  cruelty 
and  sentenced  to  the  distrust  of  intel- 
ligent beings. 

The  Greek  philosopher,  Plato, 
whose  name  still  heads  the  list  of 
mortal  thinkers,  believed  in  the  life 
after  death  and  was  an  ardent  advo- 
cate of  the  doctrine  of  immortality. 

"It  must  be  so — Plato,  thou  reasonest 
well! 

Else   whence   this  pleasing   hope,    this 
fond  desire, 

This  longing  after  immortality,     * 

Or  whence  this  secret  dread 

Of  falling  into  naught?     Why  shrinks 
the  soul 

Back    on   herself,    and    startles    at   de- 
struction? 

'Tis  the  divinity  that  stirs  within  us; 

'Tis   Heaven   itself   that   points   out   a 
hereafter 

And  intimates  eternity  to  man." 

— Addison. 
The  equity  of  the  universe  demands 

immortality.      Earth   life   is   not   long 

enough    for    justice    to    complete    her 

work.      Time  is  too  short  for  mercy 

to   finish   her    task.      They    each   and 


both  demand  eternity  to  right  the 
wrongs  and  level  up  the  obstructive  in- 
equalities of  existence  here. 

Immortality  is  an  Apex  idea.  It  is 
not  only  foundational  in  the  phil- 
osophy of  life,  it  is  the  dome-spire  of 
the  thought  structure. 

'Tis  true;  'tis  certain;  man,  though 
dead,  retains 
Part   of  himself;    the   immortal   mind 
remains." 

— Homer. 

"They   eat,    they   drink  and   in   com- 
munion sweet — ■■ 
Quaff  immortality  and  Joys." 

■ — Milton. 

"I  still  live"  said  the  departing  Daniel 
Webster. 

"It  is  but  crossing  with  a  bated  breath 
A  white  surface  of  a  little  strip  of  sea, 
To  find  the  loved  ones  waiting  on  the 

shore, 
More  beautiful,    more  precious   than 
before." 

— Ella   Wheeler  Wilcox. 

"When  I  leave  this  frail  existence 
When  I  lay  this  mortal  by, 
Father,  Mother,  May  I  meet  you 
In  your  royal  courts  on  high. 
Then  at  length  when  I've  completed 
All  you  sent  me  forth  to  do 
With  your  mutual  approbation 
Let  me  come  and  dwell  with  you." 
— Eliza  R.  Snow. 

The  Developing  Power  of  Belief 
in  Immortality 

The  Latter-day  Saint  idea  of  im- 
mortality includes  a  belief  in  the  resur- 
rection or  the  re-uniting  of  the  spirit 
and  the  body.  We  are  to  take  up  our 
bodies  as  we  lay  them  down.  The 
duty-brought  scars  will  be  badges  of 
honor,  the  sin-brought  defects  will  be 
sources  of  shame.  Care  of  the  physi- 
cal self  is  strikingly  stimulated  through 
a  belief  in  this  doctrine. 

Our  doctrine  of  life  beyond  the 
grave  provides  for  a  carry-over  into 
eternity  of  the  knowledge  acquired 
here.  What  could  be  a  greater  in- 
centive for  study,  and  study,  With 
faith  is  the  highest  form  of  intellectual 
or  mental  development. 

Our  doctrine  of  the  everlasting  con- 
tinuance of  life  carries  with  it  the  idea 
of  rewards  and  penalities  for  earth-life 
conduct.  By  our  works  here  we  shall 
be  known  there.  As  we  have  measured 
to  others  so  will  it  be  measured  unto 
us. 

The  great  carry-over  will  be  char- 
acter. Our  ciesires,  our  likes,  our 
devotions,  our  permanent  individual- 
ity and  our  ever  changing  personality 
will  pass  on.  We  shall  meet  enjoy- 
ment and  endurance  in  proportion  to 
the  good  and  the  evil  of  our  make 
up  when  we  get  beyond  the  grave. 

This  belief  that  we  must  meet  our 
record,  written  not  only  in  the  book 
that    our    guardian    angel    keeps,    but 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


45 


duplicated  in  our  character  is  a  mar- 
velous incentive  to  right  thinking  and 
righteous  living;  a  living  that  includes 
gratitude  to  God  and  good  will  to 
man,  and  these  two  are  the  great  un- 
folding forces  of  the  spiritual  in  man. 

A  state  of  mind  that  faces  the  as- 
surance of  not  only  eternal  existence 
hut  eternal  liberty  and  eternal  pursuit 
of  happiness,  with  their  accompanying 
responsibilities  is  a  desirable  one. 

Joint  Statement  onM.  I.  A. 
and  Genealogical  Work 

CTAKE  and  ward  genealogical  com- 
mittees are  responsible,  under  the 
stake  presidency  and  bishoprics  of  wards 
for  choosing  the  time  for  the  meeting 
of  the  genealogical  class  which  will  en- 
able the  greatest  number  to  benefit 
by  participation. 

"In  deciding  upon  the  best  time  to 
meet,  where  the  M.  I.  A.  is  con- 
cerned, the  ward  genealogical  com- 
mittee and  the  M.  I.  A.  officers  should 
together  consult  with  their  bishopric 
and  be  guided  by  their  decision. 

"Those  genealogical  groups  electing 
to  meet  in  connection  with  the  adult 
department  of  the  M.  I.  A.  may  do 
so  under  the  same  arrangements  made 
for  previous  years  by  the  general  of- 
ficers of  those  organizations. 

To  Maintain  Two  Groups 

"The  main  outlines  of  this  arrange- 
ment with  the  M.  I.  A.  are  here  re- 
viewed. In  all  cases  two  study  groups 
are  to  be  maintained,  one  for  the  study 
of  the  M.  I.  A.  course,  and  one  for 
the  study  of  the  genealogical  lessons. 
It  should  be  understood,  however,  that 
on  the  first  Tuesday  of  each  month, 
both  groups  will  meet  in  joint  session 
to  study  the  M.  I.  A.  project  for  the 
month. 

"Each  individual  member  of  the 
adult  department  should  be  given  the 
opportunity  to  make  his  own  choice 
and  study  the  subject  he  prefers. 

"There  should  be  no  spirit  of 
rivalry  between  members  of  the  two 
groups  nor  any  thought  that  the  suc- 
cess of  one  group  is  a  corresponding 
detriment  to  the  other.  The  efforts  of 
each  should  reinforce  and  supplement 
those  of  the  other.  Surely  we  can 
cooperate  in  attaining  the  same  grand 
objective,   the  saving  of  souls. 

(Signed)      Pres.  A.  W.  Ivins 

George  Albert  Smith 
Ruth  May  Fox 

"In  behalf  of  the  Genealogical  So- 
ciety of  Utah,  and  the  M.  I.  A.  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints." 

The  above  statement  was  read  in 
a  joint  M.  I.  A.  Officers'  meeting  held 
in  the  Assembly  Hall,  Salt  Lake  City, 


Sunday  morning,  October  4,  1931,  by 
Elder  Melvin  J.  Ballard. 

Elder  Ballard  emphasized  the  fact 
that  there  is  to  be  maintained  an 
M.  I.  A.  group  in  each  ward  studying 
the  course  outlined  for  the  Adult  De- 
partment. It  is  also  desirable  that  a 
genealogical  group  be  maintained  but 
where  this  cannot  be  held  without 
conflict,  the  Genealogical  workers  are 
at  liberty  to  seek  another  time  for 
their  work. 

Elder  Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  vice- 
president  of  the  Genealogical  Society 
of  Utah,  stated  that  the  Genealogical 
association  had  entered  the  Mutuals 
upon  the  latter's  invitation,  and  that 
the  plan  saved  a  night;  also  light  and 
heat  of  ward  chapels.  He  wants  the 
genealogical  class  to  attend  Mutual 
and  take  part,  he  stated,  but  said  there 
was  no  reason  for  conflict;  each  class 
— the  adult  Mutual,  the  genealogical 
— could  choose  their  own  course  and 
attend  it.  "There  should  be  no  rival- 
ry, no  petty  jealousy,"  he  declared. 
"It  is  the  same  Church,  the  same  Gos- 
pel, and  all  work  towards  the  same 
end." 


Treasures  of  Truth, 

My  Story, 

The  Book  of  Rembrance 

npHE  above  titles  indicate  pro- 
jects along  genealogical  lines  now 
in  operation  for  the  young  people  of 
the  Church.  They  are  all  similar  in 
nature  and  are  all  designed  to  promote 
faith  in  the  Gospel  and  a  more  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  and  interest  in 
family  history.  They  are  so  arranged 
that  they  may  be  kept  separate  and 
distinct.  The  first  two  are  for  the 
Gleaner  and  Junior  departments  of  the 
Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.  and  the  last  named  is 
for  the  boys  and  young  men  of-  the 
Lesser  Priesthood. 

All  Gleaner  girls,  therefore,  should 
compile  their  "Treasures  of  Truth" 
and  all  Junior  girls,  their  books,  "My 
Story."  Full  instructions  are  given  in 
the  manuals  for  these  departments  and 
the  supervision  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
M.  I,  A.  officers  in  stakes  and  wards. 

The  "Book  of  Remembrance" 
project  is  under  the  direction  of  Bish- 
ops and  supervisors  of  Lesser  Priest- 
hood work. 


COAMiU  N  IITY3A\€rH\VIIW  IDIEItfl". 

=====  Committee  =========================== 


Oscar  A.  Kirkham,  Clarissa  A.  Beesley,  Chairmen;  W.  O.  Robinson,  Elsie  T.  Brandley, 
Vice-Chairmen ;  Heber  C.  Iverson,  John  H.  Taylor,  Don  Wood,  Jos.  F.  Smith,  J.  Spencer 
Cornwall,   Charlotte  Stewart,   Grace   C.   Neslen,   Katie   C.  Jensen,  Marie   C.    Thomas,    Evangeline 

T.   Beesley,    Ethel    S.   Anderson 


Executives  and 
Activity  Leaders 

nPWO  members  of  the  executives  and 
the  activity  leaders  from  each  de- 
partment (except  Scout  and  Bee-Hive) 
form  the  Community  Activity  Com- 
mittee. 

It  will  be  noted  that  to  this  group 
is  given  supervision  of  all  recreational 
activities  both  general  and  department- 
al. The  general  program,  that  is  the 
half  hour  activity  program  and  events 
outside  of  the  regular  M.  I.  A.  meet- 
ing, call  for  the  major  attention  of  this 
group  but  there  are  also  some  activities 
within  the  departments  that  the  re- 
spective activity  leaders  may  supervise. 
For  example,  the  Adult  recreational 
program;  the  joint  M  Men-Gleaner 
session  which  should  become  an  activ- 
ity rather  than  a  "lesson"  each  month; 
M  Men-Gleaner  parties,  Junior  trav- 
elogues, story  telling  periods,  etc. ;  and 
incidental  recreational  activities  which 
may  arise  in  any  department. 

In  all  of  this  work  it  is  understood 
that  there  should  be  close  cooperation. 
While  the  division  of  responsibility  is 
indicated,  leaders  should  work  together 
and  be  able  to  assume  one  another's 
positions  if  necessary.  Team  work  is 
greatly  to  be  desired  in  the  M.  I.  A. 


Activity  Leaders  in 
Union  Meetings 

TF  the  instructions  in  the  M.  I,  A. 
Hand  Book  on  page  28  concerning 
the  conduct  at  Union  Meetings  are  fol- 
lowed it  is  believed  there  will  be  no 
serious  conflict. 

Opening  Social,   193  i 

(Ioka  M.  I.  A.) 

^"pHE  opening  social  of  the  Ioka  M. 
I.  A.  was  held  as  a  Lawn  party  at 
the  home  of  the  Young  Men's  presi- 
dent. The  social  began  with  com- 
munity singing,  after  which  the  open- 
ing prayer  was  offered.  Contest  games 
were  played  in  which  every  one  took 
part  and  a  very  pleasant  evening  was 
spent.  At  10:30  a  fire  was  built  and 
all  enjoyed  a  "weiner  roast."  Melons 
were  also  served. 

At  11:30  the  party  was  dismissed 
by  prayer  and  all  departed  for  their 
homes  feeling  they  had  had  a  good 
time. 

A  prize  was  given  the  Gleaner  Girls, 
for  paying  the  largest  percent  of  their 
fund.  The  Adult  Class  won  the  prize 
for  the  best  stunt. 


46 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


A  ID  IU  IT  ID  IE  IP  A IRT/H  IE  N  ¥ 

^=^=  Committee  - 


Dr.  Arthur  L.  Beeley  and   Ann  M.   Cannon,   Chairmen ;   Dr.  Joseph   F.  Merrill,   Dr.  Franklin   S. 

Harris,  Lewis  T.  Cannon,  Dr.  Lyman  L.  Daines,  Rose  W.  Bennett, 

Emily  H.  Higgs,  Emily  C.  Adams,  Charlotte  Stewart 


Class  Periods  in 

the  Adult  Department 

RECENTLY  a  ward  superintendent 
reported  to  the  General  Office  that 
his  adult  department  did  not  care  to 
begin  classwork  on  the  book  How  To 
Live.  On  questioning  him  it  was 
learned  that  neither  the  superintend- 
ent, his  teachers,  nor  the  members  of 
the  Adult  Department  had  even  seen 
the  book  or  the  Outlines  written  by 
the  General  Board  to  accompany  the 
use  of  the  book,  much  less  read  either. 
This  superintendent  reported  that  his 
class  wanted  to  study  some  gospel  sub- 
ject. He  was  surprised  to  learn  that 
the  subject  of  class  discussion  this  year 
is  on  the  Word  of  Wisdom — certainly 
a  Gospel  theme — and  that  the  text 
How  To  Live  was  a  very  complete  ex- 
position of  the  principles  taught  in  the 
Word  of  Wisdom.  His  people  had 
just  concluded,  without  any  examina- 
tion whatsoever  and  with  knowing  lit- 
tle or  nothing  about  the  subject  mat- 
ter of  the  book,  that  they  did  not  care 
to  use  it.  Our  Church  people  have 
many  times  complained  that  they  were 
condemned  by  people  who  knew  noth- 
ing about  them.  Does  it  not  seem 
strange,  then,  that  our  people  would 
object  to  a  course  of  study,  strongly 
recommended  to  them,  without  an  in- 
vestigation of  this  course  of  study? 
Certainly  the  objectors  were  not  aware 
that  this  course  of  study  carries  the 
special  recommendation  of  the  General 
Superintendency  and  the  General  Presi- 
dency of  M.  I.  A.  (see  fly-leaf  of  the 
Supplement  to  How  To  Live.) 

Certainly  every  normal  person  is 
vitally  interested  in  his  health.  With- 
out it  he  can  give  but  little  service  to 
the  Church  and  can  get  but  little  en- 
joyment out  of  life.  The  Word  of 
Wisdom  was  given  to  the  Church  as  a 
guide  to  the  maintenance  of  health. 
The  keeping  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom 
is  enjoined  upon  every  member  of  the 
Church. 

In  order  to  be  "sold"  on  the  course 
of  study  offered  this  year  for  the  adult 
department  it  is  only  necessary  for  an 
individual  or  a  committee  to  give  a 
careful  reading  to  the  book  How  To 
Live.  The  M.  I.  A.  believes  that  it  is 
offering  to  the  adult  classes  in  the 
Church  this  year  not  only  the  best, 
but  the  most  interesting  course  of 
study  that  has  ever  been  offered. 

Each  class  should  own  from  three 
to  six  copies  of  the  book.  One  way 
to  get  these  copies  is  for  the  class  mem- 


bers to  contribute  a  few  cents  each  and 
buy  the  books  for  the  class.  They  can 
then  be  loaned  out  week  by  week  to 
the  class  members  who  are  asked  to 
make  preparation  on  assigned  topics 
for  discussion  in  the  class.  The  book 
is  written  in  the  simplest  language  and 
can  be  read  understandingly  by  any 
seventh  grade  student.  The  class  can 
be  handled  successfully  by  any  teacher 
who  knows  how  to  teach  adults,  even 
though  this  teacher  has  no  special 
knowledge  of  the  subject  matter  of 
the  book.  The  Outlines  published  by 
the  Board  to  accompany  the  book  give 
full  directions  on  how  any  good  teach- 
er can  handle  the  class  with  great  suc- 
cess. 

Projects 

(Extracts  from  an  address  given  by 
Dr.  Arthur  L.  Beeley  before  the  Adult 
Department,  June  Conference,  1931.) 

AST  year,  you  will  remember,  we 
suggested  that  the  citizenship  pro- 
jects parallel  the  discussion  of  com- 
munity health  and  hygiene  and  that 
the  first  Tuesday  of  each  month  be  de- 
voted to  a  consideration,  of  how  to  ex- 
ecute certain  projects  with  regard  to 
community  living  and  in  respect  to 
health.  You  will  remember,  too,  I  am 
sure,  that  the  last  chapter  in  this  book 
was  a  series  of  community  health  pro- 
jects. Six  projects  are  outlined  in 
great  detail;  and  are  merely  suggestive 
of  others  which  we  hoped  you  might 
select.  Some  stakes  and  wards  made 
ventures  which  gave  us  a  real  vision 
of  the  possibilities. 

The  slogan  this  year  is  that  we 
stand  for  physical,  mental  and  spiritual 
health  through  observance  of  the  Word 
of  Wisdom.  It  is  explicitly  stated  that 
the  Word  of  Wisdom  is  for  the  tem- 
poral welfare  of  the  Saints,  which  is 
very,    very   important,    for  many   rea- 


sons. First,  because  we  live  in  a 
Church  which  realizes  the  importance 
of  a  temporal  life,  and  that  is  the 
thing  which  marks  the  Latter-day 
Saints  off  from  other  religious  groups, 
which  devote  themselves  only  to  the 
life  hereafter. 

This  health  movement  is  a  means 
to  an  end,  and  the  end  is  the  abundant 
life  for  the  greatest  possible  number  of 
people.  And  if  that  is  our  principle, 
then  whatever  promotes  the  abundant 
life  in  a  temporal  way  for  the  Saints 
is,  according  to  my  idea,  included  in 
the  Word  of  Wisdom.  It  seems  to 
me  that  we  have  the  task  of  getting 
these  fundamental  ideas  translated  in- 
to community  life;  literally  woven  in- 
to the  fabric  of  our  social  organization. 

The  Adult  Committee  has  agreed  on 
the  question  of  continuing  its  program 
of  health  projects.  We  have  reprinted 
Chapter  XXV  of  last  year's  manual 
in  this  little  "Study  Outline"  in  order 
that  you  might  have  all  of  the  work 
for  this  year  in  compact  form. 

We  might  select  one  project  and 
center  our  attention  in  that  field  as  a 
worthy  base  of  applied  religion.  We 
talked  last  year  about  the  bacteriolo- 
gist, who  is  interested  in  these  things 
called  germs.  The  necessity  of  its  be- 
ing clean  and  free  from  disease,  and 
the  dispensing  of  milk  is  no  longer  an 
individual  matter  in  a  community 
where  we  live  so  close  to  each  other. 
Another  suggestion  was  that  we  make 
a  local  health  survey  to  find  out  ex- 
actly whether  our  loved  ones  are  dying 
unnecessarily  or  prematurely.  You 
can't  have  abundant  life  if  the  little 
babies  die  before  they  are  a  year  old. 
We  must  use  our  common  sense  then. 
We  even  talked  about  the  possibility 
of  creating  a  health  unit  in  some  com- 
munities, that  is,  a  little  unit  of  service, 
public  health  service.  The  public 
health  officers  are  social  workers,  and 
these  people  have  the  duties  and  the 
problems  with  regard  to  health  and 
sanitation.  That  is  the  tendency  in 
America,  and  the  tendency  in  the  best 
places.  We  even  undertook  to  improve 
the  modern  sewerage  systems  because 
there  are  many  contagious  diseases 
which  still  prevail  in  various  parts  of 
the  community  where  diseases  spread 
because  of  faulty  sewerage  systems. 
There  are  communities  even  in  our 
own  places,  (I  hope  there  are  no  re- 
porters present) ,  where  the  outdoor 
privy  is  still  in  use.  Those  things 
should  be  changed.  I  think  no  one 
will  ever  forget  the  things  the  people 
in  the  Pioneer  stake  have  done  in 
cleaning  up  an  area  in  this  city  of  ours 
which  many  people  thought  was  hope- 
less from  the  standpoint  of  cleanliness. 
(See  Adult  Dept.  of  Feb.,   1931  Era.  j 

We  feel  that  the  Adult  Department 
of  the  Mutual  Improvement  Associa- 
tion can  be  the  greatest  force  in  the 
community  where  we  are  in  majority 
in   this  matter   of  health.      We   have 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


47 


here  an  agency  by  which  we  can  make 
our  love  felt.  We  have  heard  some 
stories  this  year  of  how  the  Mutual 
Improvement  Association  went  to  a 
public  health  physician  and  said, 
"Here,  we  think  this  thing  is  import- 
ant enough  to  be  changed."  It  seems 
to  me  suggestions  of  this  nature 
are  effective  and  usually  get  results. 
How  much  more  effective  it  is  in  busi- 
ness to  have  an  organization  repre- 
sented by  a  committee  speak  and  ex- 
press itself  rather  than  to  have  John 
Doe  call  up  the  doctor  and  say  "You're 
all  wet."  That  doesn't  get  anywhere. 
But  if  an  organization,  after  due  con- 
sideration of  the  facts,  speaks  respect- 
fully to  the  appropriate  public  official 
we  are  likely  to  get  action,  once  we 
start  on  this  road  of  Adult  Citizenship! 
We  have  a  lot  of  things  yet  to  do,  and 
applied  Christianity  is  the  only  kind 
of  Christianity  that  is  worth  its  salt. 

The  best  way  to  love  a  little  child 
is  to  keep  it  free  from  disease,  and  the 
best  way  to  love  your  neighbor  is  to 
see  that  he  has  a  long,  rich  life;  and 
that  is  a  matter  of  health,  individual, 
and  community.  That  is  the  thing 
that  is  underlying  these  citizenship 
projects.  We  feel  that  it  is  not  only 
important  to  continue  this  another 
year,  but  that  we  might  find  ourselves 
on  the  threshold  of  a  new  day  in 
Christianity  in  our  own  life,  so  to 
speak.  I  don't  believe  that  it  is  the 
business  of  the  Church  to  keep  out  of 
public  life.  Probably  it  is  our  busi- 
ness to  keep  out  of  party  politics,  but 
it  is  our  business  to  get  into  com- 
munity life,  and  I  can't  see  for  the 
life  and  soul  of  me  how  we  can  apply 
the  Word  of  Wisdom  without  getting 
into  these  community  questions.  I 
can't  for  the  life  and  soul  of  me  see 
why  it  should  not  be  the  temporal 
welfare  of  the  Saints  that  we  are  con- 
cerned with  now.  We  have  the  finest 
opportunity  to  translate  these  facts, 
these  truths  into  action,  and  so  to  ar- 
range the  general  life  of  our  com- 
munity that  our  people  have  a  chance 
for  abundant  life,  physically,  mental- 
ly, and  spiritually. 

Simple*and  Sound 

(From  Survey  for  May,  1931) 

/COMMUNITY  HEALTH  AND 
*->  HYGIENE:  A  Study  Course 
for  the  Adult  Department  of  the  M. 
I.  A.  Prepared  by  Lyman  Luther 
Daines  and  Arthur  Lawton  Beeley. 
Published  by  the  General  Boards  of 
the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah.  250  pp.  Price  $.50  a  copy 
or  $4.50  a  dozen  postpaid  by  The 
Survey. 

"This  250-page  syllabus  presents  in 
concentrated  form  and  from  trust- 
worthy sources  the  essentials  of  per- 
sonal and  community  health  with  a 
degree  of  simplicity  and  directness  not 
found  as  conveniently  in  any  other 
publication  intended  for  men  and 
(Continued  on  page  50) 


GILIEANIEIK  GIIIRJIS  DEIRM^TMENT 

:  Committee . 


Margaret    N.    Wells,    Chairman,    Rachel    G.    Taylor,    Martha    G.    Smith,    Lucy    W.    Smith, 

Katie   C.  Jensen 


The  Project 

'  I  VHERE  have  been  printed  very  use- 
ful pedigree  and  picture  pedigree 
charts  which  we  hope  all  Gleaners  will 
obtain  and  fill  in  with  names  and  pic- 
tures of  their  kin.  These  charts  can 
be  obtained  at  the  General  Board  Of- 
fice, at  the  price  of  5c  for  both.  If 
you  do  not  have  a  local  photographer, 
the  work  will  be  done  in  a  satisfactory 
manner  by  Acme  Photo  Company, 
45  7  East  4th  South  St.,  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  by  the  Utah  Photo  Materials 
Company,  27  West  South  Temple 
Street,  Salt  Lake  City.  Kodak  pictures 
or  pictures  mounted  on  good  quality 
of  paper,  taken  from  old  magazines, 
will  be  suitable  for  many  pages  of  your 
"Treasures  of  Truth." 

Where  the  Priesthood-M.  I.  A. 
meetings  are  held  in  connection  with 
the  M.  I.  A.,  thus  preventing  M  Men 
from  being  present  during  the  entire 
period  at  the  joint  M  Men-Gleaner 
session,  Gleaners  should  carry  forward 
the  etiquette  lessons  as  scheduled  for 
the  first  Tuesday  in  each  month. 

For  the  month  of  November  the 
Project  calls  for  "Testimonies  which 
have  strengthened  you."  (See  page 
1 7  of  Gleaner  Manual.)  We  give 
herein  the  testimony  of  President  Heber 
J.  Grant,  feeling  sure  that  every  girl 
would  like  to  have  among  her  "Treas- 
ures of  Truth"  this  beautiful  and  con- 
vincing testimony.  In  the  book  en- 
titled "Testimonies  of  the  Divinity  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,"  by  Samuel  O.  Bennion 
and  Joseph  E.  Cardon,  the  testimonies 
of  the  founders  and  leaders  of  the 
Church  are  available.  Obtain,  if  pos- 
sible, the  personal  testimonies  of  your 
parents,  which  in  years  to  come  will 
be  invaluable  to  you.  Tell  how  the 
testimonies  you  have  gathered  have 
strengthened  you.  Your  written  and 
signed  testimony  of  why  you  know, 
or  why  you  believe,  this  great  Latter- 
day  work  is  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
should  be  included  in  your  book. 
Testimonies  that  add  to  our  strength 
are  those  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 
and  the  Three  and  Eight  Witnesses  to 
the  Book  of  Mormon.  Gleaner  lead- 
ers must  prepare  their  own  "Treas- 
ures of  Truth"  books  if  they  hope  to 
inspire  their  girls  to  their  best  efforts. 


Testimony  of 

President  Heber  J.  Grant 

I"  REALIZE  the  beauties  of  the  Gospel  of 
*■  Jesus  Christ.  I  rejoice  exceedingly  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  divinity  of  the  work  in 
which  we  are  engaged.  I  rejoice  in  know- 
ing that  all  the  gifts  and  graces  and  every 
power,  privilege  and  blessing  which  has 
ever  been  enjoyed  by  the  Saints  of  God 
in  any  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  upon 
the  earth,  are  enjoyed  today  by  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  I  rejoice  in  knowing  that 
the  things  which  should  be  enjoyed,  the 
blessings,  the  healing  power  of  Almighty 
God,  the  inspiration  of  his  Spirit  whereby 
men  and  women  have  manifestations  from 
him,  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
whereby  people  speak  with  new  tongues, 
and  have  the  interpretation  thereof,  and 
each  and  every  grace  and  gift,  are  enjoyed 
toda"  by  the  Latter-day  Saints. 

"I  know  that  God  lives,  I  know  that 
Jesus,  is  the  Christ,  I  know  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  God,  I  know 
that  the  Gospel  tree  is  alive,  that  it  is 
growing,  that  the  fruits  of  the  Gospel 
growing  upon  the  tree  are  good.  I  have 
reached  out  my  hand,  I  have  plucked  the 
fruits  of  the  Gospel,  I  have  eaten  of  them 
and  they  are  sweet,  yea,  above  all  that 
is  sweet.  That  is  the  inspiration  that 
comes  to  every  Latter-day  Saint  who  real- 
izes the  force  of  this  Gospel  that  we  have 
espoused.  It  is  the  Gospe.1  of  Jesus  Christ. 
It  is  the  plan  of  life  and  salvation.  God 
lives;  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and  he  is  the 
chief  corner  stone  of  this  great  work — he 
is  directing  it,  and  he  will  continue  to 
direct  it.  He  chose  his  prophet,  and  he 
gave  him  instructions  and  authority  to 
establish  this  work;  and  the  power  and 
the  influence  of  Joseph  Smith  are  now  be- 
ing felt  as  the  Angel  promised.  His  name 
is  known  for  good  or  for  evil  all  over 
the  world;  but  it  is  not  known  for  evil 
except  by  those  who  malign  him.  Those 
who  know  him,  those  who  know  of  his 
teachings,  know  that  his  life  was  pure 
and  that  his  teachings  were,  in  very  deed, 
God's  law. 

"We  have  the  plan  of  life  and  salva- 
tion; we  have  the  ordinances  of  the  Gos- 
pel not  only  for  the  living  but  for  the 
dead.  We  have  all  that  is  necessary,  not 
only  for  our  own  salvation,  but  that  we 
may  be  in  very  deed  "Saviors  upon  Mount 
Zion,"  and  enter  into  the  temples  of  our 
God  and  save  our  ancestors  who  have  died 
without  a  knowledge  of  the  Gospel. 

"There  is  no  other  people  who  love 
the  Lord  their  God  as  do  the  Latter-day 
Saints — who  give  such  absolute  evidence 
of  their  love  of  God  by  their  acts,  by  the 
sacrifices  they  make,  by  the  labors  they 
perform,  by  the  diligence  with  which  they 
strive  to  serve  God  and  keep  his  com- 
mandments. There  is  no  other  people  to 
be  found  where  there  is  as  much  of  broth- 
erly love,  of  real  harmony  and  good  will, 
and  a  desire  to  bless  their  fellows,  as  can 
be  found  among  the  Latter-day  Saints. 
There  are,  over  two  thousand  men,  in 
nearly   all   parts  of   the   world,    proclaim- 


48 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


ing  this  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ;  they  are 
neglecting  their  business,  they  are  separat- 
ed from  their  families,  from  their  friends, 
from  their  loved  ones,  from  all  that  is 
near  and  dear  to  the  natural  heart  of  man, 
and  the  labor  which  they  are  performing 
is  a  labor  of  love,  without  hope  of  re- 
ward whatever  in  this  life. 

"I  want  to  bear  witness  that  no  man 
or  woman  ever  lived,  who  kept  the  com- 
mandments of  God  and  lived  according 
to  the  teachings  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ,  whose  example  was  not  worthy  of 
the  imitation  of  all  men  and  all  women, 
in  any  land,  and  in  any  clime.  This  Gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ,  which  I  have  em- 
braced, is  in  very  deed  the  plan  of  life 
and  salvation.  It  is  in  very  deed  the  Gos- 
pel revealed  again  to  the  earth.  It  is  the 
same  Gospel  that  was  proclaimed  by  our 
Lord  and  Master,  Jesus  Christ;  and  he 
gave  his  life  in  testimony  of  the  same.  And 
the  lives  of  our  Prophet  and  Patriarch 
were  given  as  a  witness  to  the  divinity  of 
the  work  in  which  we  are  engaged.  For 
a  hundred  years  this  Gospel  has  been  pro- 
claimed to  the  world  without  money, 
without  price.  Freely  we  have  received, 
and  freely  we  have  given  to  the  world." 
(From  Testimonies  of  the  Divinity  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  pages  61,  62.) 


Course  of  Study 


npHE  Gleaner  course  of  study,  "His- 
tory  of  the  Church,"  affords  won- 
derful opportunity  for  the  class  leader 
to  use  her  ingenuity  in  presenting  these 
lessons  to  the  Gleaners  in  a  most  inter- 
esting and  worth-while  manner,  keep- 
ing before  them  the  objective  of  this 
course,  i,  e.,  to  implant  in  their  hearts 
faith  and  testimonies  in  this  great  Lat- 
ter-day work  and  its  founders  and  lead- 
ers. For  supplementary  reading  we 
suggest  the  following  books: 

"Life  of  Joseph  Smith,"  by  George 
Q.  Cannon. 

"Life  of  Joseph  Smith,"  by  his 
mother,  Lucy  Smith. 

"Essentials  in  Church  History,"  by 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith. 

"The  Heart  of  Mormonism,"  by 
John  Henry  Evans. 

"One  Hundred  Years  of  Mormon- 
ism," by  John  Henry  Evans. 

"Our  Church  and  People,"  by  John 
Henry  Evans. 

For  the  month  of  November,  Dis- 
cussions Five  and  Six,  including  Chap- 
ters 11  to  17  inclusive,  will  be  given. 
A  parallel  history,  but  more  in  de- 
tail, covering  these  chapters,  can  be 
found  in  "Life  of  Joseph  Smith,"  by 
Geo.  Q.  Cannon,  pages  106-222  and 
in  "One  Hundred  Years  of  Mormon- 
ism," by  John  Henry  Evans,  pages 
135-220.  In  the  "Heart  of  Mor- 
monism," which  is  one  of  the  text 
books  for  Church  seminary  work,  in 
chapters  25  to  30  inclusive,  will  be 
found  some  real  helps  on  the  lives  of 
our  early  leaders  and  their  powerful 
testimonies.  Refer  to  Doctrine  and 
Covenants'  footnotes  for  source  of  rev- 
elations given  and  make  clea*  all  points 
of  doctrine. 


m  JUNIOR  GURUS  DEPARTMENT 

— ' Committee  =^^=^=== 


jn-^-^ 


Laura  P.  Nicholson,  Chairman ;  Agnes  S.  Knowlton,  Julia  S.  Baxter,  Emma  Goddard, 

Katie  C.  Jensen 


Junior  Girls   of  Cannon    Ward. 


A  Certain  Way  to  Health 
and  Beauty 


Positive  Teachings 

1.   Eat  meat  very  sparingly. 
Eat  fresh  fruit  liberally. 
Eat  fresh  and  cooked  vegetables 
regularly. 

Eat   grains    (ground  whole)    in 
bread  or  porridge  daily. 
Drink  water,   fruit  juices,   grain 
extracts   or   milk   in   abundance. 
Sleep  regularly,   from  early  eve- 
ning to  early  morning. 
Labor     regularly     and     steadily 
with   body   and  mind. 
Secure  a  correct  mental  attitude 
- — -have  faith,  hope  and  charity. 
Seek   and   practice   the   truth   of 
religion. 

Negative  Teachings 

Drink  no  alcoholic  beverages. 
Use  no  tobacco. 
Drink  no  tea  or  coffee. 
Avoid  refined  foods. 

Rewards  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom 
1.    Beauty    and    attractiveness. 
Health  of  Body. 
Mental  Efficiency. 
Immunity  from  Disease. 
Spiritual  joy  and  understanding. 

History  of  the  Word  of  Wisdom 

1.  Promulgated  in  1833  by  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  as  a  reve- 
lation from  God. 
Practiced  since  then,  by  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints,  as  a  religious 
principle. 


2. 
3. 

4. 


6. 


7. 


8. 


9. 


2. 
3. 

4. 


2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 


"If  we  are  obedient  to  the  things  that 
we  will  learn  here,  we  will  have  a 
safe  guide  through  the  tunnels  and 
caves  that  lead  to  good  health  in  our 
journey." 

The  girls  shown  in  the  accompany- 
ing picture  are  from  Cannon  Ward. 
Pioneer  stake,  and  together,  of  their 
own  accord,  they  made  the  following 
pledge:  "We,  the  Junior  Girls  of  Pio- 
neer stake,  pledge  ourselves  that  we 
shall  touch  neither  tea,  coffee,  tobacco 
nor  liquor  unless  we  are  all  together 
and  all  agree  to  it." 

Can  each  individual  girl  in  the 
Church  be  encouraged  to  resolve  with- 
in herself  to  keep  some  part  of  the 
Word  of  Wisdom  which  she  finds  is 
particularly  difficult?  Iced  tea,  coca 
cola  and  coffee  may  be  very  attractive 
to  her,  and  those  things  are  the  ones 
from  which  she  should  abstain.  The 
things  we  dislike  offer  little  tempta- 
tion; it  is  against  alluring  things  we 
must  fight. 


Course  of  Study 


2. 


/^\F   "A  certain   way   to  health   and 

^    beauty,"   Dr.    John   A.   Widtsoe 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,    said, 


PHE  subject  for  discussion  this  sea- 
son in  the  Junior  Class  is  "Build- 
ing a  Life,"  and  each  lesson  prepared 
should  be  a  part  of  the  great  whole, 
not  a  subject  in  itself.  To  discuss 
exercise,  beauty,  or  any  other  topic 
without  tying  it  up  to  the  thought  of 
building  it  into  life's  structure  is  to 
lessen  the  importance  of  the  topic 
itself,  and  detract  from  the  splendid 
idealism  of  the  course.  In  preparing 
your  presentation  for  Tuesday  night. 
Leaders,  keep  in  mind  the  big,  over- 
shadowing thought  of  building  a  life 
and   in    the   realization   that   you   can 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


49 


help  these  girls  to  make  theirs  more 
full  and  beautiful  you  will  find  in- 
spiration which  will  strengthen  you 
to  do  your  best. 

The  Project 

Lands  My  Parents  Came  From 

TN    order    that    the    greatest    interest 
in    this    lesson    may    be    had,    very 
careful  fore-thought    and    assignment 
must  be  made. 

I  hear  you  say,  "My  parents  were 
born  in  this  very  town  or  city,  there 
isn't  anything  interesting  to  tell  about 
it."  There  are  many  pictures  of  in- 
teresting landmarks  and  buildings  of 
the  past  of  almost  any  town  or  city, 
whereby  if  we  are  looking  backward 
they  lend  interest  and  denote  historic 
facts.  The  pictures  that  have  been 
appearing  in  the  Desert  News,  pictur- 
ing Salt  Lake,  the  city  of  the  past, 
are  very   interesting. 

Do  your  people  have  some  such 
pictures? 

Wouldn't  this  be  an  opportunity  to 
invite  some  of  our  mothers  and  fathers 
to  come  and  tell  you  conditions  as 
they  existed  when  they  were  girls  or 
boys.  By  inquiry  beforehand  there 
may  be  found  material  for  some  splen- 
did discussions  concerning  the  reasons 
why  your  parents  left  their  native 
land,    if  they  did  so. 

These  lessons  having  been  assigned 
a  week  ahead,  it  may  stimulate  in- 
terest to  have  the  book  "My  Story" 
passed  in  class  so  that  all  may  see 
these  interesting  pictures,  and  compare 
their  work  with  their  companions. 
It  would  create  a  great  deal  of  fun 
for  the  girls  to  come  to  class  in  their 
mother's  dress  which  she  wore  when 
a  girl.  Above  all  let  the  girls  do 
most  of  the  telling  in  this  lesson. 

Reading  Course 

AS  a  Committee  we  deeply  appre- 
ciate the  manner  in  which  our 
Reading  Course  Book  "Larry"  is  being 
received.  Very  many  girls  after  read- 
ing it  have  sent  it  to  a  dear  boy 
friend  in  the  mission  field.  We  feel 
sure  that  every  boy  and  girl  who  reads 
and  studies  the  book  carefully  and 
prayerfully  will  have  his  or  her  ideals 
enhanced  and  have  desires  to  live  more 
like  "Larry."  We  rejoice  that  he 
was  a  real  flesh  and  blood  character 
and  was  so  dearly  loved  and  honored 
by  the  good  people  of  Arizona  with 
whom  he  was  privileged  to  live  for  a 
few  short  weeks.  We  have  met  some 
of  them  recently  and  they  all  testify 
that  the  character  given  of  him  in 
the  book  is  not  the  least  bit  exag- 
gerated. 

(Continued  on  page  50) 


BIEIEIH ll\V|E .Gil  IRJIS  DEPARTMENT 


Committee 


Sarah   R.   Cannon,   Chairman,   Catherine  Folsom,  Vida   F.   Clawson,    Glenn   J.   Beeley, 

Marie    C.    Thomas 


Placing  Bee  Hive  Girls 
Entering  M.  I.  A. 

/^JIRLS  entering  M.  I.  A.  at  12  years 
of  age  are  expected  to  take  the 
work  prepared  for  Nymphs;  those  en- 
tering at  13  or  14  years  of  age  should 
work  as  Builders  in  the  Hive.  Girls 
who  enter  at  14  years  may  be  encour- 
aged to  remain  in  the  Bee-Hive  Depart- 
ment another  year  to  finish  the  two 
ranks;  otherwise  it  would  be  com- 
mendable on  the  part  of  the  Bee-Keep- 
ers  if  they  would  assist  these  girls  to 
complete  the  two  ranks  in  one  year,  or 
earn  the  rank  of  Gatherer  during  the 
summer  months. 

Jan.  9th,  1931. 
To  the  Officers  of  the  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 

and  Primary  Association. 
Dear  Sisters: 

In  response  to  our  many  inquiries 
regarding  the  12-13  year-old  girl,  will 
state  that  we  have  received  the  follow- 
ing letter  from  the  First  Presidency 
of   the   Church: 

"After  thoroughly  considering  the 
problem  presented  in  letters  of  December 
4th,    1929,  and  March    13th,    1930,   by 


Calendar 

November  3 

Nymphs — Guide  8:  Cell-making  and 
Home-building. 

Builders — Guide  8  :  Planned  by  Bee- 
Keeper  and  Girls. 

Gatherers — Guide  8  :  Planned  by  Bee- 
Keeper  and  Girls. 

November  10 

Nymphs — Guide  9:  Cell-making  and 
Home-building. 

Builders — Guide  9:  The  Word  of 
Wisdom. 

Gatherers — Guide  9:  Life  of  the 
Bee. 

November  17 

Nymphs — Guide  10:  Cell-making 
and  Home-building. 

Builders — Guide         10:  Safeguard 

Health. 

Gatherers — Guide    1 0  :      Diet. 

November  24 

Nymphs — Guide  1 1  :  Christmas  Pro- 
gram. 

Builders — Guide  1 1  :  Safeguard  Health 
(Continued.) 

Gatherers— Guide   1 1 :     Family  Meals. 


the  General  Presidency  of  the  Y.  L.  M.  I. 
A.,  we  feel  that  it  would  be  inadvisable 
to  make  an  arbitrary  ruling  to  the  effect 
that  all  girls  of  twelve  and  thirteen  years 
of  age  should  attend  the  Primary  Asso- 
ciation, or  to  the  effect  that  they  should 
all  be  enrolled  in  the  Mutuals. 

"It  is  our  judgment  that  the  parents  of 
the  twelve  and  thirteen  year  old  girls 
should  in  each  individual  case  assume  the 
responsibility  of  deciding  which  of  these 
two  organizations  their  daughters  should 
attend." 

In  view  of  the  above,  we  advise 
that  ward  officers  of  the  Y.  L,  M.  I. 
A.  and  Primary,  under  the  direction 
of  the  stake  officers,  shall  together 
ascertain  at  once  how  many  girls  there 
are  in  each  ward  who  are  not  now 
attending  either  organization  and  that 
where  such  girls  are  found,  their  par- 
ents be  consulted  as  to  which  organiza- 
tion they  desire  them  to  attend.  Fre- 
quently surveys  of  this  nature  should 
be  made  jointly  by  Y.  L.  and  Primary 
officers.  This  proviso  is  made,  how- 
ever, that  no  girl  who  has  not  passed 
her  12th  birthday  by  Sept.  30th  of 
each  year  shall  be  admitted  into  the 
Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.,  but  shall  be  held  until 
the  following  season. 

We  further  advise  that  Primary  As- 
sociation officers  make  every  effort  to 
keep  the  girls  in  the  Primary  Asso- 
ciation until  they  are  14.  Y.  L.  M. 
I.  A.  officers  should  not  solicit  the  at- 
tendance of  girls  already  enrolled  in 
the  Primary.  But  it  is  understood 
that  wherever  girls  are  eager  to  join 
the  Mutual  and  the  parents  are  willing, 
they  be  allowed  to  do  so. 

Work  for  girls  of  these  ages  will  be 
provided  in  both  the  Primary  Asso- 
ciation  and  in  the  Y.   L.   M.   I.   A. 

We  further  recommend  that  where 
the  girls  of  12  and  13  are  admitted 
under  the  above  provisions  into  the 
M.  I.  A.  that  they  be  properly  chap- 
eroned by  their  own  parents  or  some 
other  responsible  person,  and  that  they 
be  discouraged  from  attending  evening 
parties. 

Sincerely  your  sisters, 
Ruth  May  Fox, 
Lucy  G.   Cannon, 
Clarissa  A.   Beesley, 
General  Presidency, 
Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 
May  Anderson, 
Isabelle  S.  Ross, 
Edna  H.  Thomas, 

General  Superintendency, 
Primary  Association. 


50 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


Awards 

L)EE-HIVE  emblems  and  awards  be- 
long  to  Bee-Hive  activities.  These 
should  never  be  given  to  any  girl 
except  those  who  earn  them  according 
to  the  requirements  as  stated  in  the 
Bee-Hive  Handbook. 

The  Life  of  the  Bee 

A  REVIEW  of  Maeterlinck's  Life 
■^  of  the  Bee  has  been  prepared  by 
the  General  Board,  and  is  on  sale  at 
the  General  Offices,  at  15c  per  copy. 
Guide  IX  (Foundation  Cell  No.  7 
for  Gatherers)  to  be  considered  De- 
cember 1st,  calls  for  a  reading  of  the 
book  or  the  review.  Encourage  the 
girls  to  do  this  reading  befqxe  the 
date  named,  so  that  they  can  help  to 
make  the  lesson  period  more  interest- 
ing. 

Nymphs 

DROGRAM  for  The  Nymphs.  A 
Supplement  to  the  Bee-Hive  Girls 
Handbook  is  ready  and  for  sale  at  the 
general  office  at  25c  per  copy.  Each 
Keeper  of  the  Nymphs  will  need  one 
of  these  splendid  little  books.  It  will 
not  be  necessary  for  the  girls  to  have 
any. 

Awards  for  The  Nymphs  are  seals 
with  a  bee-hive  emblem,  one  to  be 
given  a  month  to  each  girl  who  attends 
at  least  three  meetings  during  the 
month  and  takes  an  interested  part  in 
the  activities  of  the  group.  Cards 
have  been  prepared  and  will  be  fur- 
nished by  the  General  Board,  to  which 
these  seals  may  be  affixed  and  become 
a  part  of  the  girl's  record  of  awards 
earned. 

Bee  Hive  Handcraft 

QUESTION.  Could  you  tell  mc 
about  the  first  use  of  baskets? 

Answer.  The  first  use  made  of  the 
basket  was  probably  as  a  cover  for 
water-gourds,  to  protect  them  from 
being  so  easily  broken  when  the  early 
tribes  moved  from  one  place  to  an- 
other. 

In  time  the  basket  became  not  only 
the  commonest  domestic  utensil,  but 
its  use  was  extended  to  all  social  and 
religious  functions. 

Question.  What  tools  are  needed 
to  start  one  out  with  bead  work? 
Would  you  give  me  directions  for  a 
simple  problem  in  bead  work? 

Answer.  The  tools  needed  are  sim- 
ple and  easily  obtained.  For  the  first 
problems  some  strong  linen  thread  and 
No.  12  bead-needles  are  sufficient. 
Beads  of  any  size  and  price  may  be 
purchased  at  any  kindergarten  supply 
store,  or  department  store  where  art 
material  is  sold. 

A  good  problem  for  beginning  is 
stringing  beads  for  a  chain.  A  very 
effective   chain  may  be   made   in   the 


following  way:  Take  two  No.  12 
bead-needles  filled  with  thread,  and 
fasten  the  ends  of  both  securely  to  a 
single  bead.  On  each  thread  string 
five  beads,  or  more  if  the  beads  are 
small,  and  then  carry  both  threads 
through  a  single  bead.  Again  take 
the  same  number  of  beads  on  each 
thread  and  carry  the  threads  through  a 
single  bead,  and  so  on,  repeating  the 
process  until  a  chain  of  the  desired 
length  is  completed. 

Question.  Could  you  give  us  some 
ideas  for  the  staging  of  our  play? 
The  scenery  we  have  is  all  worn  out 
and  we  must  keep  the  cost  at  a  mini- 
mum. 

Answer.  The  M.  I.  A.  Community 
Activity  Manual,  page  200-204,  gives 
some   excellent  suggestions. 

Victor  E.  Daines  gives  the  follow- 
ing: 

"The  method  I  suggest  is  the  use 
of  the  portable  sets  of  screens,  ingen- 
iously designed  and  decorated  so  that 
by  various  arrangements  they  can  be 


^Adult  Department 


made  to  represent  a  street  scene,  or 
a  banquet  hall.  This  is  made  possible 
by  the  way  in  which  the  screens  are 
painted  and  the  angle  at  which  they 
are  set. 

Properties  are  added  to  complete  the 
design.  For  example,  the  screens 
might  be  arranged  to  show  the  enclos- 
ing walls  of  a  dining  room.  The 
properties  would  be  the  dining  table, 
chairs,   tableware,  etc. 

These  screens  are  hinged  together 
in  sets  folding  two  ways.  They  are 
made  of  long  wood  strips  covered 
with  canvas  on  both  sides  and  painted 
and  decorated  so  that  both  sides  are 
used.  Sets  of  screens  are  lashed  to- 
gether. Lashing  is  much  like  the 
lacing  of  a  shoe.  Doors  and  windows 
are  made  in  separate  forms  which  fit 
in  casings  or  openings  in  the  set. 

The  use  of  screens  has  a  great  ad- 
vantage over  the  constructed  and  more 
complex  set,  but  the  use  of  the  cy- 
clorama,  as  explained  in  the  Manual, 
has  proven  to  be  entirely  satisfactory. 


Continued  from 
page  4  7 


women  of  American  communities.  The 
authors  have  combined  the  presenta- 
tion of  medical  and  social  information 
from  the  best  authorities  used  for  uni- 
versity teaching  and  professional  prac- 
tice the  length  and  breadth  of  this 
country.  The  General  Boards  of 
Young  Men's  and  Young  Ladies'  Mu- 
tual Improvement  Associations  of  the 
Latter-day  Saints  are  to  be  heartily 
congratulated  upon  so  courageous  and 
effective  an  educational  pamphlet.  If 
one  adult  in  each  home  in  the  United 
States  really  understood  and  acted  upon 
the  precious  knowledge  of  health  here 


presented  a  revolution  in  personal  and 
communal  conduct  would  occur  with- 
out the  penalties  of  arms  or  propa- 
ganda. There  is  one  omission  that 
might  well  be  remedied  in  another  edi- 
tion, namely  the  lack  of  any  considera- 
tion of  the  effect  upon  health  of  the 
use  of  habit-forming  drugs,  including 
alcohol  and  the  narcotics  of  the  mor- 
phine and  cocaine  series. 

"Haven  Emerson,  M.  D." 

(Dr.  Emerson  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  outstanding  authorities  in  the 
field  of  public  health.) 


^Junior  Girls  Department 


Continued  from 

page  49 


Read  the  following  opinion  of  Lar- 
ry by  one  Mutual  girl  who  has  read 
and  studied  good  books  ever  since  her 
early  childhood: 

"I  was  asked  to  give  my  opinion  of 
the  book  'Larry.'  There  is  only  one  word 
in  my  vocabulary  that  describes  it  and 
that  is  'perfect.'  It  carries  such  human 
interest,  such  real  philosophy  of  every  day 
living  that  one  is  overwhelmed  at  the 
amount  of  common  sense  Larry,  the  boy, 
possessed.  It  not  only  appeals  to  the 
young  folks  but  mothers  and  fathers  de- 
light in  reading  it  and  living  again  the 
pathos  of  youth. 

"Boyhood  and  manhood  are  made 
splendid  by  him.  Girlhood  and  woman- 
hood are  honored  by  his  reverence.  Girls, 
what  could  be  a  sweeter  task  than  the  one 
Larry  leaves  for  us — to  become  ideals,  in- 
centives and  inspirations  to  the  other  hun- 
dreds of  living  Larrys — to  make  their 
lives  more  perfect  by  our  influence." 

Thoughts  for  Junior  Leaders 

T  X  7"E  need  to  practice  the  art  of  creat- 
*  ing  interest  in  the  thing  we  want 


the  girls  to  do.  Problems  and  obstacles 
are  incentives  to  help  the  girls  in 
their  learning.  Who  has  not  heard  a 
girl  answer,  "Well,  I  will,  I'll  show 
you,"  when  told  that  such  and  such 
a  thing  was  too  hard  for  her  or  that 
she  couldn't  do  it.  Direct  that  com- 
bativeness  for  our  cause  not  against 
it.  Mr.  Kilpatrick  says  that  to  amuse 
and  interest  is  one  way  to  spoil  a 
person.  To  amuse,  excite  without 
growth  is  worthless,  indeed  it  is  worse 
than  that  because  it  fixes  the  habit  of 
selfishness.  Witness  the  habitual  card- 
player,  theatre-goer.  It  develops  a 
critical  attitude  toward  life  without 
developing  the  needed  desire  to  work 
and  do  something  about  it.  So  we 
need  to  work  toward  growth  in  sin- 
cerity and  dependability  through  our 
lessons  rather  than  just  for  amusement 
or  to  pass  the  time  away. 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


51 


4iMan  or  Machine  Made- 


crease  is  shown,  from  21%  in 
1922  to  20%  in  1928.  In  in- 
strumental music  the  enrollment 
increased  from  3%  in  1922  to 
4.5  %  in  1928,  a  gain  of  fifty  per- 
cent, due,  no  doubt,  to  the  in- 
crease in  the  number  of  school 
bands  and  orchestras. 

The  new  survey  on  "Entrance 
Credits  and  College  Courses  in  Mu- 
sic" conducted  by  our  own  Re- 
search Council  and  published  by 
the  National  Bureau  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Music,  should  be  in 
the  hands  of  every  supervisor,  high 
school  principal,  school  superinten- 
dent and  college  president.  While 
it  is  encouraging  to  note  the  in- 
creasingly liberal  recognition  of 
music  in  colleges,  it  is  disheartening 
to  find  that,  even  in  the  most  lib- 
eral of  these,  fewer  than  3  %  of  the 
college  students  make  any  contact 
whatsoever  with  the  School  of 
Music. 


Y7"OU  will  find  the  cause  in  the 
apathy  that  still  exists  in  many 
high  schools  toward  music.  I 
found,  a  few  weeks  ago,  in  a  city 
of  200,000  population,  no  organ- 
ized musical  instruction  whatever 
in  any  one  of  the  six  junior  high 
schools  and  only  the  most  perfunc- 
tory sort  in  the  senior  high  school. 
Again,  where  credit  is  allowed, 
either  on  entrance  or  toward  the 
college  degree,  all  too  often  it  is 
limited  to  theoretical  subjects,  his- 
tory and  appreciation,  with  no 
credit  whatever  for  practical  or  ap- 
plied music.  This  means  credit  for 
knowing  all  about  Beethoven  but 
none  for  playing  his  music,  which 
is  like  getting  credit  for  knowing 
all  about  Shakespeare  but  none  for 
reading  his  works! 

We  have  but  little  time  here  to 
indulge  in  arguments  as  to  what 
constitutes  true  appreciation.  Some 
authorities,  including  Bobbitt,  the 
curriculum  expert  of  Chicago  Uni- 
versity, contend  that,  since  me- 
chanical music  is  now  available  to 
all  without  the  necessity  of  acquir- 
ing skill  in  performance,  the  vast 
majority  will  become  utilizers 
rather  than  producers  of  music. 

"If  home-made  musk  no  longer 
functions,"  they  say,  "we  can  no 
longer  afford  to  teach  these  skills 
to  all."  They  conclude,  therefore, 
that  it  is  a  waste  of  time,  money 
and  effort  to  teach  any  but  the  few 


gifted  ones  the  arts  of  sight-sing- 
ing or  of  instrumental  perform- 
ance. "Instead,"  they  say,  "teach 
rote  singing  and  appreciation 
through  much  listening  to  good 
music." 

XTOW,  what  do  they  mean  by 
this  term,  "appreciation?" 
Surely,  there  are  levels  of  appre- 
ciation just  as  there  are  degrees  of 
skill.  No  one  would  deny  that 
the  men  observing  a  baseball  or 
football  game  derive  greater  pleas- 
ure, get  more  thrills  from  a  fine 
play  than  the  women.  Why?  Be- 
cause they  have  played  the  games 
themselves!  Who  are  the  specta- 
tors at  golf  and  tennis  or  at  bowl- 
ing and  billiard  tournaments?  The 
amateurs! 

When  my  son  attended  a  con- 
cert of  the  Chicago  Orchestra  last 
week,  he  was  more  interested  in  the 
horn  section  than  he  was  in  Hei- 
fetz,  the  soloist.  You  have  guessed 
the  answer — he  plays  the  French 
Horn!  The  amateur  and  profes- 
sional violinists  of  that  audience, 
no  doubt,  were  more  attentive  to 
Heifetz.  The  layman  was  on  a 
lower  level  of  appreciation,  the 
composer  and  the  critic  on  a  high- 
er, if  more  intellectual  level.  James 
says  that  "A  connoisseur  is  apt  to 
judge  a  work  of  art  dryly  and  in- 
tellectually, and  with  no  bodily 
thrill."  This  is  no  proof,  how- 
ever, that  intellectual  appreciation 
should  not  be  taught,  because  even 
illiterates  respond  emotionally  to 
aesthetic  stimuli. 

f")N    this    disputed    question,    we 
could  not  find  a  better  author- 
ity than  Dr.  Judd,  of  Chicago  Uni- 
versity.   He  says: 


"The  emotional  reactions  of  an  indi- 
vidual who  enjoys  music  are  not  identical 
with  the  reactions  of  the  individual  who 
is  producing  music.  Acts  of  skill  are  dif- 
ferent from  emotional  responses  of  en- 
joyment; how  then,  can  skill  contribute  to 
emotional  responses?  By  the  fact  that  re- 
actions contribute  to  discrimination.  The 
person  who  is  skillful  in  producing  tones 
is  aided  in  discriminating  tones  by  his 
skill!  Training  in  production  thus  raises 
the  emotional  reactions  to  a  higher  level 
of  appropriateness  to  the  situation.  The 
person  who  hears  music  but  has  no  abil- 
ity in  its  production  has  emotions  but 
applies  them  with  less  discrimination  than 
does  the  trained  musician." 

Since  there  are  levels  of  appre- 
ciation and  levels  of  skill,  it  seems 


Continued  from 

page  23 

obvious  that  we  must  provide  op- 
portunities for  those  that  live  on 
these  various  levels.  Democracy 
must  assure  equality  of  opportu- 
nity for  all.  It  cannot  guarantee 
equality  of  achievement. 

\T7'HILE  some  interpret  the  old 
truism,  'We  learn  by  doing" 
as  meaning  that  "We  develop  taste 
by  tasting"  they  also  seem  to  trust 
optimistically  that  the  finer  appre- 
ciations will  just  grow- — like  Top- 
sy — "that  the  taste  for  better  art 
grows  by  seeing  good  art — that  the 
appreciation  of  better  music  grows 
by  hearing  good  music."  This  is 
probably  true,  but  who  doubts 
that  the  process  can  be  accelerated 
by  training?  Else,  why  have  class- 
es in  English  literature  when  the 
mechanics  of  reading  are  mastered 
in  the  elementary  grades? 

This  raises  another  question  in- 
troduced by  the  champions  of 
"training  for  utilization."  It 
would  be  quite  possible  to  teach  the 
appreciation  of  literature  by  rote 
memorization.  Indeed,  why  learn 
to  read  at  all  when  we  can  hear  the 
finest  readers,  orators  and  dramatic 
actors  over  the  radio?  Why  study 
mathematics  beyond  the  elementary 
processes,  when  accountants  and 
bankers  use  mechanical  calculators? 
Why  teach  foreign  languages  to  so 
large  a  percentage  of  high  school 
boys  and  girls  when  so  few  learn  to 
speak  or  read  them,  when  these 
foreign  tongues  rarely  function  in 
their  real  lives,  during  or  after 
school  days? 

/T,HE  real  question  is  whether  or 
not  self-expression  is  vital  to 
complete  living.  It  does  seem  vital 
to  all  living  organisms.  The  sun- 
flower still  turns  toward  the  sun, 
but  the  plant  in  the  cellar  decays. 
The  fish  in  subterranean  streams 
have  lost  their  eyes  because  they 
could  not  use  them  in  the  dark. 
The  mole  has  no  use  for  ears.  We 
marvel  at  the  sense  of  smell  pos- 
sessed by  some  wild  animals  and 
said  once  to  have  been  possessed  by 
man.  What  we  fail  to  use,  we  lose! 
Will  the  push-button  age  render 
our  hands  useless?  A  friend  of 
mine  foresees  a  human  race  with 
but  one  finger — a  protuberance, 
rather — fit  only  for  pushing  but- 
tons.     I   think  I   can   best  express 


52 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


GRAYSON  RANCH 

(Sub-division) 
If  you  can  qualify,  you  take  no  chances     4 
by   growing-   a   living   and    making   your 
own  job  in  San  Juan  County,  Utah. 
Must   have  had   some   farm   experience. 
Must     have     at     least     $1000.00     cash.     I 
$600.00    for   half   down    payment   on    80 
acres  of  best  land,  which  will  be  fenced, 
10     acres     seeded     to     wheat,     free     fire 
wood,    community    water. 
$400.00     will    build    a    cabin    and    pro- 
vide   implements. 

A  1  acre  lot  in  the  Town  site  ol 
Grayson  will  be  given  free  with  each 
80    acres    purchased.  | 

An   L.  D.   S.   meeting   house  and  school 
can  be  built  of  native  stone.     19  inches     = 
annual  precipitation.    Water  wells  from 
25  to  75  feet.  2 

Send    for    folder,    THE     LOOP    HOLE     I 
OUT.      Address  jj 

Emil    Gammeter,   P.    O.   Monticello,   Ut.     I 


PEWS 
PULPITS 
CHAIRS 


Folding, 

Kindergarten 

and    Opera 

Bank,    Office,   Church   and   Store 
Fixtures 

Salt     Lake     Cabinet     & 
Fixture      Company 

32   Richards  Street 
Write  us  for  prices 


When  Your 
Home  Burns 


There's  a  certain  amount  of 
comfort  to  know  that  should  fire 
destroy  your  home  tonight  that 
you  are  covered  by  Fire  Insur- 
ance. 

Such  insurance  will  indemnify 
you  for  the  loss  incurred  and 
allow  you  to  rebuild  your  home 
without  financial  hardship. 
It's  worth  a  good  deal  to  have 
this  protection  in  these  times. 
See  our  agent  in  your  town. 

UTAH  HOME  FIRE 
INSURANCE  CO. 

HEBER  J.  GRANT  &  CO. 

General  Agents 

20   South  Main   Street 
Salt    Lake    City,    Utah 


my  feelings  on  this  subject  by  the 
following  poem: 


Music 


o 


what   would    the   world   be   like,    my 

dears, 
If  Music  had  never  been, 
If  all  of  the  sounds  that  smote  our  ears, 
Were  nothing  but  noise  and  din? 
If  ev'ry  singing  bird  were  mute — 
No  melody  sweetened  air 
Of  violin,  or  harp,  or  flute 
Would  life  be  quite  as  fair? 
And  what  would  the  world  be  like,   my 

friends, 
If  never  a  soul  could  hear? 
If  harmonies  of  richest  blends 
Touched  only  the  dullard's  ear? 
What  waste  of  symphony  sublime, 
If  nobody  understood, 
Nor  felt  aglow  with  tune  or  time 
Would  life  be  quite  as  good? 
And    what  would   the   world   be   like,    at 

last, 
If  voices  had  all  grown  dumb? 
No  Music  heard — save  from  the  past — 
Since  living  hands  all  were  numb! 
Nay !   far  more  sweet  the  music  played — 
Tho'  faltering  oft,  at  best — 
By  an  eager  lad  or  a  beaming  maid, 
To  make  life  rich  and  blest! 

CHALL  we,  then,  be  downheart- 
ed? While  we  are  told  that 
'The  Machine  always  wins,"  no 
ane  here  would  willingly  go  back 
to  the  "good  old  days."  The  ma- 
chine is  here  to  stay.  It  is  our  priv- 
ilege and  our  duty  to  learn  how 
best  to  use  it.  Machine-made  mu- 
sic is  flooding  our  homes;  millions 
are  receiving  musical  impressio..:? 
today  as  compared  with  thousands 
a  few  years  ago.  Even  now,  fewer 
than  one  per  cent  in  America  at- 
tend public  concerts.  But  they  are 
listening  to  music.  Let  us  push 
the  other  button — reverse  the  cur- 
rent— complete  the  cycle — conver: 
these  impressions  into  expressions! 

Shall  I  shock  you  when  I  say 
that  the  traditional  musical  instru- 
ments we  use  today  may  be  obso- 
lete in  the  next  generation,  pos- 
sibly in  our  own  life-time?  The 
violinist's  bow  may  one  day  rest 
in  the  museum  with  the  bow  of 
the  archer — the  oboe  beside  the 
shofar — the  trumpet  with  the 
hunting  horn.  How  clumsy  the 
bass  tuba  that  wraps  itself  around 
its  victim  like  an  octopus!  How 
ludicrous  the  prestigitating  antics 
of  the  slide  trombonist  .  and  the 
bass  viol  player  scratching  the  back 
of  his  bull-fiddle! 

The  piano  is  still  the  king  of  in- 
struments. It  is  the  only  practical 
home  instrument  upon  which  a 
single  player  can  express  himself 
simultaneously  in  rhythm,  melody 
and  harmony,  the  basic  elements  of 


music.  It  is  complete  from  lowest 
bass  to  highest  treble.  Pitch  and 
tone  quality  are  built  into  this  in- 
strument— in  all  others  these  de- 
pend upon  the  ideal  conception  and 
skill  of  the  performer.  The  pianc 
opens  the  door  to  all  music — in- 
strumental and  vocal.  It  is  the  per- 
fect accompaniment  to  the  human 
voice — a  fitting  mate  to  the  glori- 
ous "Queen  of  Song."  These 
unique  attributes  make  it  the  ideal 
medium  of  the  amateur  and  the 
"Instrument  of  the  Immortals!" 

But,  already  the  scientist  is  de- 
veloping a  super-instrument  that  is 
destined  to  re-produce  the  qua:  ides 
of  all  these  instruments  synthetic- 
ally. For  musical  tone  is  vibra- 
tion. So  is  electricity.  It  requires 
no  prophet  to  foresee  the  perfection 
of  the  Theraminvox,  now  still  as 
crude  as  the  first  Marconi  set  com- 
pared with  a  modern  radio.  By 
extending  the  principle  of  electric- 
ally induced  vibration,  a  thousand 
times  more  responsive  than  me- 
chanical vibration,  we  shall  achieve 
new  ranges  of  pitch,  shades  of  color 
and  degrees  of  intensity  undreamed 
of  heretofore! 

T  HAVE  been  very  close  to  a  cel- 
ebrated radio  engineer  and  in- 
ventor who  has  been  working  for 
ten  years  on  the  invention  of  a  syn- 
thetic organ  that  shall  command 
these  new  tones,  colors  and  intensi- 
ties. A  universal  keyboard,  com- 
manding every  quality  of  strings, 
wood-wind  or  brass,  will  produce 
this  new  synthetic  music.  A  new 
world  of  tone  shall  be  opened  unto 
our  ears!  What  a  challenge  to  our 
creative  imaginations! 

And  here,  in  our  schools,  wait- 
ing for  our  sympathetic  guidance, 
is  that  vast  army  of  nearly  thirty 
million  children!  This  youth  of 
today  is  "hand-hungry" — eager 
for  something  stimulating,  exhilar- 
ating, thrilling  to  do!  Compared 
with  my  own  childhood,  with  its 
innumerable  chores,  the  youngsters 
of  today  have  few  responsibilities. 
True,  there  are  more  "places  to  go" 
and  faster  ways  of  getting  there, 
but  many  of  these  are  roads  to  ruin. 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


53 


The  happy  home  life  of  yesterday- 
is  said  to  be  in  danger  of  breaking 
down.  Parents  must  be  made  to 
see  these  dangers  and  urged  to  make 
sacrifices,  if  necessary,  to  encourage 
their  children  to  cultivate  the  ex- 
pressive arts. 

It  is  your  responsibility  to  con- 
vert your  school  officials  who  are 
indifferent  to  music  only  when 
they  know  it  not.  They  are  eager 
for  suggestions.  They  are  recep- 
tive as  never  before. 

Let  us  demand  more  time,  more 
equipment,  more  academic  recogni- 
tion, more  prestige  for  music!  Let 
us  insist  on  higher  standards  of 
teaching,  materials  and  methods.  In 
too  many  public  schools  the  teach- 
ing of  music  today  is  a  disgrace  to 
the  profession  and  a  prostitution  of 
the  art. 


LIVERY  child  loves  to  do  those 
things  that  give  him  pleasure 
and  hates  to  do  those  that  prove 
irksome  or  painful.  It  seems  obvi- 
ous, then,  that  our  first  duty  to 
children  should  be  to  see  that  their 
"learning  shall  be  accompanied  by 
pleasure;"  that  they  shall  have 
more  opportunity  to  express  them- 
selves musically  by  playing  tihe 
melodies  all  children  love. 

Vocational  music,  as  a  means  of 
livelihood,  has  reached  that  eco- 
nomic stage  known  as  "diminish- 
ing returns."  If  music,  then,  is 
to  continue  as  a  means  of  self-ex- 
expression,  and  recreation,  our 
children  must  be  guided  along 
paths  that  lead  to  this  goal. 
We  must  teach  these  young 
music  makers  how  to  play  for  their 
own  pleasure  and  self-culture  rath- 
er than  Jhope  to  become  money 
makers  in  music.  We  must  stress 
music  as  an  avocation.  Let  the  chil- 
dren aim  to  become  real  amateurs 
and  connoisseurs  in  the  true  sense 
of  these  words — lovers  and  know- 
ers  of  music — for  these  are  also  the 
discriminating  auditors.  Would 
you  increase  the  demand  for  man- 
made  music?  Then,  multiply  the 
amateurs  because  the  amateur 
makes  the  market — in  art,  as  well 
as  in  sport! 

"yOU  should  encourage  your 
children  to  form  small  ensem- 
ble groups — duets,  trios,  quartets 
— vocal  and  instrumental.  Such 
music  will  function  in  their  home 
life  and  will  nullify  the  criticism 
of  the  curriculum  expert.  _ 

The  answer  to  the  question  is  in 
the  public  schools.      The  fate  of 


man-made  music  lies  in  your 
hands!  There  is  no  doubt  what- 
ever in  my  mind  that,  out  of  four 
million  high  school  students,  if 
given  a  choice  between  taking  mu- 
sic, thus  taught,  and  certain  tradi- 
tionally required  subjects,  more 
than  half  would  choose  music  if  it 
were  equally  accredited.  This 
would  increase  the  number  now 
studying  music  tenfold!  If  every 
girl  could  realize  the  value  of  her 
voice  as  a  personality  asset,  less  time 
and  money  would  be  spent  on  cos- 
metics and  more  on  singing. 

DUT  Bobbitt,  Snedden  and  the 
rest  are  right  when  they  urge 
that  music,  also,  be  made  elective — 
that  every  student  should  receive 
training  at  public  expense  on  the 
level  he  can  reach  easily — and  no 
higher.  "Equal  opportunity  for 
All" — this  is  the  watchword  of  a 
democratized    educational    system. 

As  modern  invention  symbol- 
ized by  the  machine  has  lightened 
the  burden  of  physical  existence, 
as  modern  science  has  added  to  the 
span  of  life,  so  these  twin-sisters 
will  collaborate  in  the  future  to 
make  life  more  worth  living,  more 
beautiful,  more  enjoyable. 

We  do  not  fear  the  Robots. 
The  machine  shall  not  enslave  us. 
The  man  must  learn  to  master  the 
machine.  Shall  we  have  the  wis- 
dom to  use  it  well?  The  answer 
to  my  question  is  with  you!  To 
paraphrase  the  immortal  lines  of 
Henley: 

"We  are  the  Masters  of  our  Fate — ■ 
We  are  the  Captains  of  our  Souls!" 


-ii        ii n        n        ii- 


•  II    ■■'   itl  -■    '    M- 


I  Broadway  Felt  Co. 

106    West    Broadway  Was.    9919 

PEERY  HOTEL  BUILDING 

Makers  of  Everything  in 
Felt 

M.    I.    A. 
I      SLOGANS,       BANNERS,       DESIGNS, 
I      INSIGNIA,         LETTERS,  SENIOR 

VESTS,  JACKETS,  PENNANTS, 
j  TABLE  STENCILS,  CHAIR  COVERS, 
I  LADIES'  WEAR,  BASKETBALL 
i  SUITS,    SCHOOL    GARB 


|      Mail    Orders    Given    Prompt    Attention     j 
Ask  For  Our  Prices  ! 


25 

BEAUTIFULLY 

ENGRAVED 

XMAS  CARDS 

With  Tapestry-Lined  Envelopes 
Your  Name  in  Raised  Letters 

For  $2,00 

These  are  $3.00  and 

$4.00  Values 

MANY  BEAUTIFUL 
DESIGNS 

SALT  LAKE   STAMP 
CO. 

45  West  Broadway 

Out  of  Town  People 
Write   for  Samples 


NOW!  IT'S  TIME  TO 
TRAIN  FOR  BUSINESS  LEADERSHIP 

CAPITALIZE  LEISURE! 

There  is  no  better  way  to  spend  your  time  wheh  jobs  are  scarce 
than  in  preparing  lor  tlie  future.  Train  now  for  business  leader- 
ship, and  be  ready  for  rapid  progress  with  the  return  of  prosperity. 

YOUR   MARKET  VALUE. 

Specialized  business  training  will  increase  your  market  value. 
Stenographic,  secretarial,  accounting  and  civil  service  courses 
prepare  for  good  starting  positions  and  provide  the  foundation 
fo,r  future  progress.  Free  assistance  of  Employment  Department. 
Write  or  phone  today  for  free  catalog. 

LATE    (FALL    TERM    BEGINS    NOVEMBER   2 


$15.00  per  Month — $40.00  Three  Months — 
$75.00  Six  Months 

L.  D.  S.  BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

40  NORTH  MAIN 


»0«B»0-aH»(}«B»04M»0-a 


54 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


A  GIFT  AT  A 

MODERATE 

PRICE 

The    Smart    New    Brownie 
THE     new     Brownie — appropriately     called 
"Beau   Brownie" — is  a   small,  gaily  dressed 
camera,    ideal    as    an    inexpensive    gift    or 
bridge   prize. 

Colors — blue,  green,  rose,  black,  tan,  with 
a  design  on  the  front  in  metal  and  col- 
ored   enamels. 

Beau  Brownie  has  the  new  Kodak  Double 
lens.  No.  2  takes  2J4  x  3J4  pictures. 
Price,  $4;  with  case  $5.50.  No  2A,  2'/2  x 
414    pictures.      Price,    $5;    with    case    $6.50. 

EASTMAN  KODAK 
STORES,  INC.  (KoM) 

315  South  Main  Street 
Tel.  Wasatch  5292 


WINNING  NEW 

Users  Every  Day 


CONOCO 

GERM  PROCESSED 

PARAFFIN  BASE 

MOTOR  OIL 


^Adolf  Hitler 

myself  of  the  limited  opportunity 
of  studying  the  man  at  close  range 
and  tried,  funny  as  it  may  sound, 
to  get  an  insight  into  his  character. 

XJITLER  is  a  very  handsome 
man.  Of  medium  height  and 
slender  physique  he  does  not  make 
an  imposing  figure,  but  his  confi- 
dent carriage,  and  the  manner  in 
which  he  holds  his  head  up  in  the 
air  discount  whatever  physical 
faults  he  might  have.  He  has 
straight  black  hair,  a  clear,  brown- 
ed skin,  and  dark  eyes  that  seem 
to  betray  his  every  emotion.  His 
thin-lipped  mouth  is  bordered  by 
a  bristling  Charlie  Chaplin  mous- 
tache, and  his  jaw,  which  seems 
out  of  proportion  to  the  rest  of 
his  features,  is  alone  evidence  of 
the  power,  determination  and  reso- 
lution of  the  man.  Had  I  not 
known  to  whom  I  was  being  in- 
troduced, I  would  have  thought 
the  man  before  me  to  be  a  mild- 
mannered,  intelligent  member  of 
the  upper  middle  classes,  or  per- 
haps a  fairly  successful  business 
man.  But  instead  of  that,  I  had 
met  "Handsome  Adolf,'5"  the  super- 
romantic  hero  of  Germany's  in- 
numerable romantic  women,  the 
recipient  of  countless  "mash"  notes 
and  gifts  from  ladies  of  noble  birth, 
all  of  whom,  meaning  women  in 
general,  he  is  said  to  detest.  -And 
while  he  is  a  delightful  figure  of 
romance  to  the  opposite  sex,  the 
men  find  in  him  the  consummate 
genius  of  leadership,  hail  him  as 
their  champion,  boast  of  his  great 
courage,  and  hold  his  methods  of 
discipline  in  great  respect.  It  is 
certainly  an  interesting  paradox 
that  the  man  who  awakens  the  ro- 
mantic hero  love  in  women,  as  ex- 
emplified in  the  movie-star  wor- 
ship of  the  members  of  the  fair 
sex,  should  at  the  same  time  arouse 
men  from  the  bitterness  of  despair 
and  hopelessness  and  cause  them 
to  recognize  him  as  a  dominant 
leader  for  whom  they  would  glad- 
ly go  to  war.  Hitler,  being  a 
subtle  artist,  fully  understands  the 
strings  which  he  must  pull  to  bring 
about  the  desired  movements  of 
his  marionettes.  His  greatest  in- 
strument and  almost  never  failing 
friend  is  his  remarkable  gift  of 
oratory,  and  in  discussions  of  a 
political  nature  he  is  almost  in- 
vincible. A  well-known  German 
military  official  has  said  of  him:' 
"If   you   are   hostile   to   him   you 


Continued  from 

page    1 3 

feel  physically  exhausted  after  re- 
sisting his  talk.  He  takes  control 
of  the  conversation  from  the  in- 
stant it  begins  and  never  lets  up.'' 
We  have  considered  the  man  more 
or  less  from  a  human  angle,  now 
let  us  regard  the  facts  of  his  life 
which  led  up  to  his  prominence. 

A  DOLF  HITLER  was  born  in 
1889,    in    the     small     border 
town  of  Braunau  in  upper  Austria 
of  humble  parents,  and  spent  the 
early  part  of  his  life  there  follow- 
ing   the    trades    of    sign   painting 
and  carpentry,   until,   as  a  young 
man,  he  moved  to  Munich,  a  dis- 
tance of  one  hundred  miles  from 
his  home,  where  he  began  the  study 
of  architecture.     At  the  advent  of 
the  world   war,   in    1914,   he  en- 
listed as  a  private,  and  served  with 
distinction    during    the    following 
four  years,  being  once  gassed  and 
once  wounded.     At  the  conclusion 
of  the  struggle  he  made  his  head- 
quarters in  Munich  once  more,  and 
in  1922  his  political  career  began. 
Capitalizing    upon    his    oratorical 
powers,      he      made      impromptu 
speeches  in  the  beer-halls  of  Mu- 
nich, denouncing  the  post-war  po- 
litical regime  and  painting  a  picture 
of  a   futuristic   Utopia.      He   also 
told  his  beer  garden  clientelle  that 
American     banks     are     controlled 
99%  by  Jews   (Attention  Messrs. 
Morgan!),  flayed  the  Monarchists, 
derided  the  Catholics,  and  treated 
the  Socialists  and  Republicans  with 
equally  eloquent  contempt.    It  was 
not  long  before  the  name  of  Hitler 
was  well  known  throughout  Ba- 
varia, and  it  was  a  year  later,  that 
Hitler,    with    the   backing   of   the 
beloved  General  LudendorfF,  walk- 
ed into  a  huge  beer  hall  where  a 
mass  meeting  was  being  held  by 
several  town  officials,  fired  a  couple 
of  shots  into  the  ceiling  to   gain 
silence,  and  proclaimed  the  Nation- 
al   Revolution.       He     guaranteed 
safety  for  von  Kahr,  the  presiding 
official,    if    he    would    accompany 
them  from  the  hall,  and  within  a 
few  minutes  talked  him  into  join- 
ing the  movement  of  the  revolu- 
tionists.     Hitler's  forces  filled  the 
streets,  but  the  next  day  von  Kahr 
was  visited  by  two  decidedly  anti- 
Hitler  men  in  the  persons  of  the 
Archbishop  of  Munich  and  Prince 
Rupprecht   of   Bavaria,    who   suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  him  back  to  his 
senses.     As  a  result,  the  city  police 
were  called  out  to  clear  the  streets, 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


55 


and  a  sharp  machine  gun  skirmish 
ensued  between  them  and  a  detach- 
ment of  Hitler's  forces  commanded 
by  LudendorfF  himself.  The  Hit- 
lerites were  routed,  and  Hitler  and 
Ludendorff  forced  to  flee  from  Mu- 
nich. They  were  both  apprehend- 
ed however,  and  brought  back  for 
trial.  Hitler  made  a  speech  to  the 
jury,  and  for  the  first  time  his 
oratory  was  futile.  He  was  sen- 
tenced to  five  years  in  prison  by  a 
weeping  judge,  and  Ludendorff, 
because  of  his  great  war  record  was 
acquitted.  Upon  hearing  the  ver- 
dict, Ludendorff,  arrayed  in  a  col- 
orful uniform,  and  bearing  all  his 
decorations,  arose  to  his  feet  and 
said:  "I  consider  that  verdict  an 
insult  to  the  uniform  I  wear  and 
a  disgrace  to  the  decorations  of 
valor  which  the  Fatherland  has 
given  me."  The  verdict  remained 
as  given,  and  Hitler  went  to  prison 
while  Ludendorff  was  freed.  It  is 
said  that  the  prison  officials  wanted 
to  give  Hitler  deaf  prison  guards 
for  fear  he  would  make  a  speech 
to  them  and  gain  his  freedom. 

PHE  second  and  greatest  stage 
of  Hitler's  political  career  be- 
gan immediately  after  his  release 
from  prison,  his  sentence  having 
been  commuted  after  one  year's 
servitude.  Beginning  in  Thurin- 
gia,- — -the  only  province  in  which 
he  was  still  allowed  to  make  a 
public  address, — and  aided  by  the 
conditions  of  the  times,  he  began 
to  sow  his  political  seed  once  more. 
After  his  conviction  in  Munich  the 
world  had  laughed  and  proceeded 
to  forget  the  pretentious  "fanatic," 
who  had  caused  such  a  stir,  but  in 
1930,  when,  aided  by  one  of  the 
most  serious  depressions  of  all 
time,  Hitler  again  came  before  the 
public  eye,  worldly  opinion  stop- 
ped to  ponder  and  consider  his 
case. 

In  1928  Hitler's  party  won  12 
seats  in  the  Reichstag,  or  less  than 
3  %  of  the  seats  in  that  body.  In  the 
September  elections  of  1930  the 
same  party  won  107  seats,  or  20% 
of  the  total  number,  and  became 
the  second  strongest  party  in  the 
land.  Hitler,  who  because  of  his 
service  in  the  German  army  had 
lost  his  Austrian  citizenship,  and 
who  had  been  refused  German  citi- 
zenship, was  unable  to  have  a  seat 
in  the  Reichstag,  but  he  controlled 
the  movements  of  his  party  never- 
theless. The  speaking  ban  having 
been  lifted,  he,  being  unable  to 
take    part    in    the    sessions   of    the 


Reichstag,  now  spends  his  time 
going  from  one  city  to  the  other 
framing  his  political  ideas  in  gilt- 
edged  words,  and  arousing  the  ad- 
miring shout  of  the  poor,  unem- 
ployed and  desperate  German  citi- 
zen. He  still  preaches  his  pet  ser- 
mon, but  his  powers  of  speech  aid 
him  in  altering  the  form  but  not 
the  structure  of  his  theories. 

AND  so  today,  this  "man  with- 
out a  country"  goes  eternally 
"stumping,"  expounding  his  doc- 
trines of  anti-everything  except  the 
Dictatorshp  of  Adolf  Hitler.  He 
has  5,000,000  followers  in  Ger- 
many, who,  when  they  are  not 
occupied  in  having  street  brawls 
with  Communists,  are  aiding  in 
the  furtherance  of  the  Hitler 
program.  Hitler  says:  "Disen- 
franchise the  Jews;  execute  the 
profiteers;  expel  the  dirty  alien; 
repudiate  Versailles  and  repara- 
tions; abolish  department  stores 
and  force  trade  back  to  the  small 
merchants;  wipe  away  parasitical 
unearned  incomes;  BE  GER- 
MANS!"— and  these  thoughts  are 
echoed  throughout  all  of  Germany 
by  the  five  million  adherents  of 
the  Hitler  faith.  Hunger  and  de- 
pression stimulate  them,  and  the 
silver  tongue  of  a  political  fanatic 
acts  as  a  drug  upon  their  confused 
minds  and  bodies. 

TN  testifying  at  the  trial  of  three 
Reichswehr  officers  in  Leipzig, 
Hitler  took  the  opportunity  boldly 
to  outline  his  plans  for  the  future. 
He  stated  that  there  would  be  a 
revolution,  the  Republic  over- 
thrown, treaties  repudiated,  Dic- 
tatorship set  up,  and  that  when 
a  tribunal  of  the  people  was 
formed  to  judge  those  who  were 
responsible  for  the  formation  of 
the  Republic  in  1918,  "Germany 
would  see  heads  rolling  in  the 
sand!" 

Thus  is  the  house  of  Hitler  con- 
structed. But  it  is  a  house  founded 
on  depression  and  hard  times,  a 
house  that  the  first  wind  of  pros- 
perity will  topple  over,  for  even 
now  it's  foundation  trembles  un- 
der the  load  above  it.  And  its 
master?  He  too  will  fall  where 
he  has  dominated,  but  he  will  leave 
his  impression  on  the  entire  world 
as  a  leader,  as  an  organizer,  as  a 
fighter.  The  greatest  thing  that 
could  be  said  about  him,  however, 
might  well  be  inscribed  on  his 
tombstone — 

"Adolf    Hitler— Orator." 


! 

i 

i 


-  -  -  - 


A  m  *  m  m  r 


Reginald    Beales 


V 

t 
t 

I 
t 

>< 
t 
t 
\ 

<< 
t 
t 
i 


Aurelia  C. 
Shimer 


Francelle  Evans 
Lars  en 


VIOLIN  DEPARTMENT 

The  guidance  of  such  teachers  as 
these  is  invaluable  to  the  violin  stu- 
dent, for  though  the  violin  leads  all 
man-made  instruments  in  power  of  ex- 
pression, it  achieves  its  rightful  su- 
premacy only  in  the  hands  of  the  cor- 
rectly   trained. 

You  can  assure  yourself  of  correct 
[<  training  !by  choosing  a  McCune  teacher. 
i'  Our  reputation  for  superiority  is  built 
,<     upon  the  quality  of  our  faculty. 

i 

I 
f 

j  School  of  Music  and  Art 

i 


McCUNE 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


i 

f 

t 

* 

: 

i 

>< 

i 
i 

1 
i 

I 
I 
i 
i 
i 

1 
t 
i 
>' 
i 
t 
t 
t 
t 
t 

V 

t 
>< 

t 

t 

t 
* 
i 
i 
t 

': 

I- 

t 


w  w  ■*  w  *r  mm 


'■  -----■-.^■  —  ^.  ■»■»*>  ^  . 


Tmrmnm-mrm?mrm*^rmrmrm-m> 


yysygyjj 


<**& 


A 


utumn 


is  the  ideal  time 
to  paint 

BENNETT'S 


mm* 

insurance/ 


PAINT  PRODUCTS 

give  maximum  coverage  and  absolute  pro- 
tection on  all  surfaces.      There  is  a  Ben- 
nett Paint,   Enamel  or  Varnish  for  every 
decorating  purpose. 

Manufactured  and  Sold  by 

BENNETT  GLASS  &  PAINT  CO. 

Salt  Lake  City 

Dealers  throughout  Utah,  southern  Idaho 
and  neighboring  states 


56 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


SOCIAL 

and 

COMMERCIAL 

Vrinting 


Distinctively  Done 

by 

UTAH'S  PIONEER 

PRINTERS 


Make  Your  Selection  of 

Ukrlstmas 
Uaras 


NOW 

Discriminating  buyers  are 
rapidly  finding  out  that  our 
line  this  year  offers  truly 
unusual  values.  Don't  delay 
making  a  selection. 

The  Dcscrct 
News  Press 

29  Richards  St.,  Salt  Lake  City 


BE  INDEPENDENT 

No  Other  Vocation  So  Profitable ! 

ENROLL  NOW 

For  a  Complete  Course  at  the 

Quish  School  of  Beauty  Culture 

The  Best  in  the  West 

304-9  Ezra  Thompson  Bldg. 
SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 

For    Further    Information 
and     Catalog    Call 
Wasatch  7560  or 
Fill  in  This 
Coupon 


^Supporting  Cast- — 

weekday  at  home  were  always  too 
brief,  too  brimming  with  tasks  re- 
quiring her  own  supervision  and 
attention.  Ella  was  dependable 
with  children,  that  was  something, 
and  so  Gloria  did  not  object  to 
the  Saturday  catch-up  on  duties 
left  undone  during  the  week.  She 
could  feel  each  day  that  Junior 
at  least  was  not  being  neglected. 
Dusk  came — crimson  and  yel- 
low in  the  cloud-ribbed  west,  and 
faded  into  the  mellow  mauve  of 
nacreous  clouds.  In  apartment  3 
Junior  played,  was  fed,  was  asleep. 
It  was  dark.  Gloria  Brent  was 
waiting.  Still  waiting.  She  had 
been  waiting  since — when  was  it 
that  she  opened  the  oven  door  and 
exclaimed  with  utter  satisfaction 
that  the  chicken  was  a  huge  suc- 
cess? 

O  HE  pricked  the 
smooth  brown  surface  and  sam- 
pled the  dressing.  Jim  loved  chick- 
en cooked  just  that  way.  He'd  say 
she  was  some  cook,  this  Frau  of 
his,  and  would  wish  that  every 
day  was  an  anniversary  to  get  such 
treats. 

Gloria  closed  the  oven  promptly 
to  prevent  even  the  slightest  bit 
of  savory  aroma  from  making  es- 
cape. She  scanned  the  breakfast 
nook.  Everything  was  perfect: 
tender  vegetables  steaming  hot,  col- 
orful salad  and  the  jello  well  set. 
There  was  a  puff  of  cream  and  a 
sprinkle  of  nuts — anniversaries  did 
not  come  every  day.  She  looked 
caressingly  at  the  gleaming  silver, 
and  then  listened.  There  was  a 
step  upon  the  front  porch. 

But  all  this  happened  hours  be- 
fore. There  had  been  innumerable 
steps  upon  the  front  porch  since 
then.  At  eight  o'clock  she  had 
closed  the  kitchen  door  with  a  sigh 
of  disappointment. 

Maybe  Jim  had  called  at  the 
library.  Maybe — maybe  he  had 
gone  to  purchase  something,  some 
little  remembrance.  Of  course  not 
jade,  but  perhaps  some  fine  sheer 
hose  with  a  dull  finish.  Gloria 
stretched  out  a  well  shaped  leg  in 
anticipation.  Nonsense,  the  shops 
would  be  closed.  Perhaps  it  would 
be  candied  fruits.  He  wight  be 
buying  something.  Last  year  he 
did. 

Gloria  caught  her  breath  quick- 
ly. Could  she  ever  forget  that  day 
a  year  ago,  with  lunch  at  Pex  and 


Continued  from 
page   25 


then  the  walk  through  the  campus, 
the  big  green  campus  with  its  mag- 
nolia trees  and  flower  edged  paths? 
Then  they  had  climbed  to  the  very 
top  of  the  hill  behind  the  stadium 
and  sitting  upon  a  grassy  knoll, 
they  had  watched  the  day  slip  out. 

1  HE  bay  had  been  all 
magic  in  the  quiet  dusk,  with  a 
faint  mist  hovering  low.  There 
were  boats,  too,  like  painted  dream 
ships  far  out  on  the  water.  Just 
as  the  twinkle  of  lights  began  to 
illumine  the  long  new  pier,  Jim 
had  gathered  her  in  his  arms  and 
pressed  her  cheek  against  his  own. 
He  had  held  it  there  ever  so  long, 
saying,  "Frau,  Frau,  what  ever 
would  I  do  without  you!"  Jim 
had  called  her  that  ever  since  he 
"passed-off"  his  languages.  She 
loved  his  mellow  intonation  of 
the  word. 

And  then  he  had  taken  from  his 
pocket  a  neat  little  box.  "It's  only 
a  trifle,  hon,"  he  said,  "just  to  tell 
you  what  a  good  sport  I  think 
you  are." 

There  had  been  a  happy  tear 
or  two  in  her  eyes,  thrust  back, 
while  deft  fingers  anxiously  re- 
moved the  tissue. 

"Wonderful,  Jim  —  just  gor- 
geous," and  she  had  put  the  frail 
chain  at  once  around  her  soft, 
quivering  throat. 

But  that  had  been  a  year  ago; 
before  experimentation  began  in 
earnest,  when  atomic  weights  and 
quantum  theories  had  been  to  them 
merely  a  part  of  a  complex,  un- 
explored world. 

jTjLT  nine  o'clock  Glo- 
ria sat  upon  the  cretonne  covered 
couch  impatiently  thumbing  a 
magazine.  Why  couldn't  she  seem 
to  settle  down  to  things?  She 
would  read.  She  loathed  neurotic, 
impatient  women.  Yes,  she  would 
read.  She  scanned  the  pages 
and  her  glance  hung  for  an  instant 
upon  this  title  or  that.  Bother — 
what  did  she  care  about  the  status 
of  Russia  or  the  futility  of  farm 
relief?  No,  she  would  not  read. 
She  would  turn  on  the  radio. 

She  walked  across  the  room  and 
opened  a  door.  Quite  mysterious- 
ly a  flood  of  sound  burst  from  the 
disc  speaker  upon  the  mantel.  Jim 
had  assembled  the  radio  himself, 
concealing  the  "internal  anatomy" 
within  an  adjacent  closet  for  want 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


57 


of  a  cabinet.  So  clever  Jim  was! 
A  favorite  symphony  but  much 
too  loud.  'That's  better,"  she 
said  having  adjusted  the  volume 
to  the  satisfaction  of  a  finical 
mood.  "Music  makes  things  so 
much  cozier."  Other  nights  might 
be  lifeless  but  this  one,  this  one 
must  be  warm  and  living.  She 
could  not  let  it  sink  to  the  dull 
level  of  mediocrity.  Surely  Jim 
would   come   soon. 


A' 


.T  ten  o'clock  Nell 
rapped  softly  on  the  door.  "I 
just  thought  I'd  slip  in  and  ex- 
tend congrat — "  she  began,  but 
the  sight  of  Gloria  Brent  sitting 
dejectedly  among  the  cushions 
checked  her  words.  She  knew  in- 
tuitively that  Jim  was  still  at  the 
university,  and  that  the  chicken, 
yes  the  surprise  chicken,  stood  stiff 
and  cold.  She  knew  that  being 
the  wife  of  a  potential  Ph.  D.  did 
not  appeal  to  Gloria  Brent,  at 
present,  as  being  a  particularly 
rosy  state. 

"What  you  reading?"  Nell 
sought   a   more   tactful   approach. 

"Oh,  nothing,"  Gloria  adjusted 
the  cushions  to  make  more  room 
upon  the  couch.  "But  if  I  were 
ever  to  wax  literary,"  she  con- 
tinued with  definite  emphasis  upon 
the  personal  pronoun,  "it  would 
be  to  voice  a  protest." 

"What?" 

"Protest,  and  vigorous  enough 
to  start  a  rebellion." 

Nell  gurgled  a  little.  "How  fe- 
rocious! Any  maneaters  enlisted 
yet?" 

Gloria  laughed  too.  "Not  yet, 
but  I  know  of  one  who  would." 

"Come  on  now,  honey,  what's 
the  matter?" 

"Nothing — but — "the  tone  of 
her  words  invited  further  inquiry. 

"Sure  there  is." 

"Well,  Jim  hasn't  come  home 
yet  and  tonight  was  our — " 

"Silly  goose,  is  that  all?"  I 
thought  at  first  he  had  flunked  his 
prelims'  or  the  landlord  had  raised 
the  rent." 

Gloria  conceded  a  wry  smile. 

"Gloria,"  Nell  went  on,  "I  saw 

the    Old    Lemon    Squeezer    today 

with   a   new   hat,   so   naturally   I 

assumed  he  had  raised  somebody's 

.  »»  > 

rent. 

/\ND  then  they  both 
laughed,  a  laugh  which  began 
heartily  but  faded  away  into  a  sort 
of  lifeless  ripple. 


"Have  you  ever  wanted,"  Nell 
began  seriously,  "something  right 
badly,  even  when  you  knew  it  was 
perfectly  hopeless?  Something 
quite  trivial,  and  yet  wanted  it!" 

"Have  I!"  Gloria  offered  with 
positive  accent,  as  if  any  inflection 
of  voice  could  possibly  express 
how  well  she  knew. 

"The  chemistry  grads  are  giving 
a  party  tonight.  Alicia's  been 
coaxing  me  to  go.  I'd  want 
to  go  too,  I  guess,  if  I  had  a  decent 
thing  to  wear.  You  see  it's  a  new 
frock  I'm  wanting." 

"I  suppose  Alicia  has  a  new  one 
— something  smart  and  gorgeous." 
Gloria's  voice  savored  of  envy. 

"Has  she!  a  darling  thing.  Long 
and  shimmery.  You'd  look  grand 
in  one  like  it,  Gloria,  with  your 
dark  hair  and  fair  skin." 

Gloria's  brown  eyes  fairly  snap- 
ped. "For  goodness'  sake,  Nell, 
don't  dare  mention  new  plumage 
to  me  on  a  night  like  this.  I  could 
eat  up  the  whole  university — test 
tubes  and  all." 

"Bravo,"  Nell  laughed.  "Well, 
under  the  circumstances,  I  don't 
think  I'll  go,  though  Alicia  says 
we're  both  dubs  to  stick  at  home. 
To  her  this  school-game  is  merely 
a  lark." 

"She  would.  It's  pretty  soft 
for  her  all  right.  Not  every  dad 
can  afford  to  keep  two,  year  in  and 
year  out."  Gloria  was  recalling 
Jim's  persistent  struggle  against 
financial  odds. 

"Yes,  they  get  a  fat  check  from 
home  each  month.  And  Alicia 
says  you  and  I  are  hopelessly  naive 
and  old-fashioned,  having  babies. 
If  we  were  the  least  bit  modern 
and  sophisticate,  she  says,  we 
wouldn't  need  to  be  scrimping 
along.  There's  too  many  mouths 
in  this  world  to  be  properly  fed 
now,  she  says." 

"Old-fashioned,"  Gloria  repeat- 
ed, thinking  the  while  of  a  certain 
little  crib  under  the  window  in 
the  next  room.  There  was  some- 
thing luring  about  the  word,  even 
though  she  knew  it  had  come  from 
Alicia's  lips  spiked  with  irony. 

"Maybe  I  am  old-fashioned," 
she  snapped,  "and  I  guess  her 
mother  was  old-fashioned  having 
her.  That's  what  I  guess.  Any- 
way, I  wouldn't  trade  for  a  mil- 
lion, and  her  husband  won't  ever 
make  a  chemist.  Not  in  a  thou- 
sand years,  for  all  his  fat  checks. 
He  doesn't  know  what  work  even 
looks  like.  He  couldn't  pour  water 


H 


ighest  %ating 

By  City  Board  of  Health 

Ever  since  the  Salt  Lake  Gity 
Board  of  Health  started  to  inspect 
and  score  all  dairies  serving  city 
homes,  on  the  basis  of  cleanness, 
methods  and  equipment,  Clover 
Leaf-Harris  has  always  received  the 
highest  rating. 

For  prompt,  courteous  delivery  of 
milk  and  other  dairy  products  from 
Salt  Lake's  best  dairy.  .  . 

Just  Phone  Wasatch  2177 

CloVer  Leaf 'Harris 


eaf- 
MI 


ILK 


It  Means  a  Warm 
House 


BLUE  BLAZE  COAL  CO. 

1102  Walker  Bank  Bldg. 
Salt  Lake  City 


58 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


of  (jkarrn 

ana 

JJistincUon 

Make  Your  Selection 
NOW! 

PRICES  ARE 

VERY  REASONABLE 

THIS  YEAR 

EMBROKE'S 

24  East  Broadway, 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


MORTICIANS 


125  North  Main 

WAS.   320 

WM.   C.   LUKEY 

Vice  Pres.  and  Mgr. 

MARGUERITE  TAYLOR 

LUKEY 

President 


»N     ^^— »- 


-»  M         ■»- 


through  a  funnel.    Isn't  that  catty, 
Nell!  Now  I'll  be  good." 

WHEN  Nell  had 
gone,  Gloria  shed  a  few  tears.  Not 
that  she  meant  to.  Somehow  they 
just  came,  uninvited,  and  refused 
discipline.  And  as  they  fell,  she 
voiced  in  sobbing  tones  things 
about  love  and  college,  laboratories 
that  killed  romance,  experiments 
that  made  men  ignore  anniversa- 
ries. Jim  didn't  love  her,  she 
guessed.    She'd  just  tell  him  so! 

At  twelve- thirty  there  was  a 
soft  step  upon  the  porch.  Some- 
one was  rustling  keys.  Gloria 
started,  wiped  her  eyes  carefully 
and  flipped  a  powder  puff  over  her 
nose. 

Jim — tall  and  broad  shouldered 
— entered,  leaning  his  brief  case 
against  the  wall  near  the  door.  His 
face  was  without  animation,  with- 
out color.  He  neared  the  couch 
and  stooping,  kissed  Gloria  casu- 
ally upon  the  forehead. 

"I  hope  you  enjoyed  the  eve- 
ning," Gloria  said  quite  savagely. 

Jim  looked  at  her  a  bit  startled. 
Before  he  had  time  to  speak  Gloria 
was  continuing  in  tones  that  were 
far  from  suave.  "And  pray,  Mr. 
Scientist,  how's  work  at  the  lab?" 

"Rotten,"  he  said  with  decision, 
sitting  heavily  into  the  low  rocker 
and  running  the  palm  of  his  hand 
across  his  forehead. 


Wi 


d 


LORIA  had  almost 
dared  to  hope  that  his  had  been 
a  crucial  point — a  night  of  import- 
ant discovery.  He  had  a  good 
head,  she  knew  it.  The  depart- 
ment fellows  had  all  said  that  in 
math  Jim  Brent  was  simply  a 
bear. 

"Worked  like  old  Harry,"  Jim 
went  on,  "all  evening  to  finish  up 
a  particular  piece  of  work,  and 
then  right  at  the  last  the  whole 
thing  blew  up.  A  month's  work 
on  apparatus  gone  to  the  deuce." 

"Honest,  Jim?  Then  tonight 
wasn't — " 

"Wasn't  anything  but  a  begin- 
again  point." 

"I'm  sorry,"  she  said.  What 
she  wanted  to  say  was,  "Let's  quit 
the  whole  blamed  business,  Jim, 
and  be  content  with  a  job  some- 
where." But  the  soft  light  from 
the  shabby  little  floor  lamp  was 
shining  upon  his  face,  and  Gloria 
saw  that  it  was  tired.  His  eyes, 
too,  wide  blue  ones,  were  a  little 
bloodshot. 


ITH    a    sudden 

thought  Jim  jumped  to  his  feet. 
"By  the  way,  Frau,  how  would 
you  like  to  go  back  to  Benton?" 

Gloria  stared  in  astonishment. 
"What  do  you  mean,  Jim?" 

"I  simply  mean  that  you  can. 
Found  a  letter  in  my  pigeon-hole 
tonight  and  it's  from  George.  An 
offer  to  head  his  sales  department. 
A  veal  one,  too."  Jim  was  bur- 
rowing among  the  papers  in  the 
brief  case. 

"Honest,  Jim!" 

"Honest,  Abe,"  Jim's  face  was 
radiant.  "Can't  imagine  how  he 
limbered  up  to  such  a  salary. 
Things  must  be  booming  back 
there." 

Gloria  seized  the  letter.  She  read 
it  breathlessly.  She  re-read  every 
word  of  it — "  dynamic  personali- 
ty, dependability" — her  heart  beat 
increasing  its  tempo  as  the  salary 
figures  loomed  in  bold,  black  type 
before  her  eyes.  "A  real  salary," 
she  sighed.  "Mr.  James  Richard 
Brent,  what  do  you  intend  to  do 
about  it?" 

"Well,  Mrs.  James  Richard 
Brent,  I  just  think  I'll  sign  my 
name  on  the  dotted  line.  Fancy, 
my  dear,"  he  went  on,  "a  real 
house,  yes,  a  house  with  porches 
and  lawns  and  perhaps  a  garden, 
instead  of  this  cooped-up,  two-by- 
four  apartment.  Clothes,  Gloria 
— swell  ones — and  maybe  a  car. 
No  more  scrimping  and  squeezing, 
and  no  more  school  teaching. 
Imagine  it,  Frau." 

LjLORIA  was  imagin- 
ing; visualizing  beyond  reality  the 
rapture  of  it  all.  A  home,  with 
sunlight  and  flowers,  hours  of 
companionship  with  Junior. 
Clothes — lovely  feminine  things- — 
not  let-downs  with  added  tulle, 
desperate  attempts  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  a  later  mode.  Yes,  some 
really   new  clothes. 

"Oh,  Jim,  it's  just  too — "  But 
Gloria  did  not  finish  the  sentence. 
She  sank  down  on  the  couch  and 
eyed  him  with  quiet,  level  eyes  for 
a  moment.  Something  within  her 
told  her  that  Jim's  enthusiasm  was 
more  apparent  than  real.  Told  her 
that  it  was  being  forced — propped. 
Told  her  that  with  acceptance  of 
this  offer,  a  life's  dream  would  be 
shattered.  A  seed  sown  so  long 
before,  nourished  at  such  cost 
through  the  years,  would  never 
reach  fruition. 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


59 


'That's  a  neat  figure,"  Jim  was 
saying  mechanically.  "More  than 
I  could  expect  for  some  time  even 
with  my  degree." 

Gloria  knew  it  to  be  so.  Knew 
that  there  might  be  lean  years  even 
after  the  finals  were  over.  Pro- 
fessors were  not  always  well  paid. 
Scientists  seldom  were.  But  she 
knew,  too,  that  the  balances  were 
set — that  the  offer  would  demand 
sacrifice  of  a  hope  that  had  gilded 
Jim's  sky  since  boyhood.  Ever 
since  she  could  remember  Jim,  he 
had  talked  of  becoming  a  scientist. 
His  big,  useful  hands  had  thrilled 
to  the  touch  of  a  slide  rule. 

Why,  why  had  the  letter  come 
tonight?  Tonight,  when  her  very 
heart  was  crying  a  hungry  cry  for 
all  that  such  an  offer  could  bring! 
Why  had  it  come!  It  was  as  if, 
out  of  the  utter  blackness  of  storm, 
stars  had  begun  to  gleam.  _  As  if 
hope,  gasping  in  that  dim  interim 
between  life  and  death,  had  sud- 
denly been  caught  to  life  by  mir- 
acle. And  yet  before  her  the  path 
was  marked.  Gloria  knew  she  must 
not  let  Jim  accept  this  offer. 

"Why  Gloria,  dear,  aren't  you 
thrilled — aren't  you?" 

Gloria  shook  her  head,  scarcely 
daring  to  trust  her  voice.  "No, 
Jim,"  she  said  slowly,  "I.  don't 
think  I'd  accept  that  offer  if  I  were 


vou. 


J 


IM'S  eyes  widened 
with  surprise.  "Course  I  shall, 
Gloria."  There  was  firmness  in 
his  tone.  "I've  been  a  cad  to  ask 
you  to  go  skimping  along,  living 
on  nothing,  denying  yourself 
things  I  know  you've  wanted.  I 
see  it  now.  I  ought  to  have  left 
you  free  till  I'd  finished.  Besides, 
that's  a  tempting  offer." 

Gloria  managed  a  light  bit  of 
laughter.  'You  old  dear,"  she 
said,  "why  it's  a  real  lark."  Some- 
how the  words  stung.  Alicia  had 
said  that — Alicia  who  knew  so 
little  about  it  all. 

Jim  sprang  to  his  "eet,  his  whole 
face  beaming.  'You  mean  you 
don't  want  to  give  this  school 
game  up — don't  you,  Frau?" 

"Not  for  worlds,  Jim.  It's  such 
fun  planning."  It  was  out.  She 
had  said  it.  After  all  she  sup- 
posed she  meant  it.  There  had 
been  moments  of  ecstasy,  glad 
hours  of  dreams,  months  and 
months  of  sharing.  And  some- 
thing in  that  sharing  had  bound 
them  infinitely  close. 


"Remember,  Gloria,"  Jim's 
voice  was  reminiscent,  "the  night 
I  asked  you  if  you  were  willing 
to  take  the  chance.     Remember?" 

A  wave  of  color  surged  into 
Gloria's  cheeks.  Could  she  ever 
forget!  "Course  I  do,  Jim.  It 
was  the  night  you  gave  me  this 
ring,  the  night  of  the  senior  play. 
You  carried  the  lead — made  a  hit, 
too. 

Jim  flushed  a  little.  "Bunk, 
course  I  didn't." 

1HERE  was  silence  for 
a  moment.  A  silence  teeming 
with  inarticulate  memory.  "Well, 
you  know,  Gloria,"  Jim  broke  it 
by  saying,  "I  knew  where  you 
were  sitting  down  in  the  dark. 
Sounds  queer  but  somehow  you 
seemed  to  be  of  the  cast,  a  sort  of 
composite  of  all  the  characters.  I 
had  a  feeling  that  it  was  you,  and 
not  their  cues  that  kept  me  going. 
Sustained  me  at  high  tide  right  to 
the  end.  You  were,  I'd  say,  the 
supporting  cast.  Still  are,  Frau 
— still  are." 

He  held  her  face  in  his  hands. 
"Why,  Frau,  you've  been  crying." 

"Course  I  haven't,  silly,  are  my 
eyes  red?  Just  reading  and  dozing, 
you  know  me,  Jim."  She  twisted 
the  button  on  his  coat  sleeve. 
"Aren't  you  hungry?" 

"Famished,  honey,  positively 
famished.  I  could  eat  a  whole 
chicken,  feathers  and  all." 

Gloria  was  in  the  kitchen  in- 
stantly. 

"I  say,  Frau,"  Jim  called,  hang- 
ing his  coat  over  the  back  of  a 
chair,  "we  have  an  anniversary 
coming  up  this  month,  don't  we?" 

Oneida  Stake  Bee- 
Hive  Girls 

T^ROM  Oneida  stake  has  come  a  re- 
port of  the  trip  which  the  Bee- 
Hive  girls  made  to  the  Temple  at 
Logan,  in  August.  Arriving  there  in 
the  morning,  a  meeting  was  held,  in 
which  President  Shepherd  explained 
to  the  girls  the  sacredness  and  im- 
portance of  the  work  of  baptizing  for 
the  dead,  and  the  holiness  of  Temple 
work.  The  girls  enjoyed  the  day  very 
much,  and  returned  home  greatly  en- 
lightened and  uplifted  by  what  they 
had  experienced.  It  is  hoped  that  this 
event  will  continue  to  be  held  annual- 
ly, as  it  has  been  for  three  years  past. 


Leadership 


doesn  't 
"Just  happen' 

To  win  in  any  kind  of  enter- 
prise, a  leader  must  provide  safe 
occupancy  for  the  units  of  his 
operating  force  while  it  is  in 
action.  Whether  those  units  are 
money  or  men,  the  principle  is 
the  same. 

Because  "The  National"  has  sur- 
rounded the  savings  of  many 
thousands  of  people  with  im- 
pregnable safeguards,  it  has  won 
a,  place  of  leadership  in  the 
Building  and  Loan  field. 

Write  for  free 
folder:  "3  PLANS" 

National  Reserve 
Holding  Company 

Operating 

NATIONAL     BUILDING    & 
LOAN    ASSOCIATION 

343   South  Main  St. 

Salt  Lake  City 
O.  R.  Dibblee,  President 


|       The  Utah  High       j 

School  of  Beauty 

Culture 

331   Clift  Bldg.,   Salt  Lake 

Learn  a  profession  that  would  make 

you    independent    for    the    rest    of 

S  your  life.     Write  for  catalog.  I 

I     Mail  this  Coupon. | 

5      Name    

0 

J      Address    

o  a 

4      City   

We  can  provide  room  and  board  to  ! 

students  out  of  town  ' 

L___ . I 


60 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


Do  You 
Read  The 
Ads? 


As  a  check  on  the  advertising  value 
of  the  Improvement  Ettt  we  will 
allow  you 


10 


0/ 


0 


Discount 

of  any  cloth  coat  selected,  until 
Nov.  15  th 


Utah's  Oldest  Fur  Store 


Hudson  Bay 

FUR  CO. 

238  Main 


WE  OFFER  IT 

TO  YOU— FREE! 

The   Sego    Loose-Leaf   Cook   Book — 

84  pages,  attractively  illustrated — 
brings  you  more  than  300  tested 
recipes.  You  ean  have  a  copy, 
absolutely  free.  Just  write  to 
Sego  Milk  Products  Co.,  Salt  Lake 
City. 

SEGO    MUSICAL    MENUS 

Helpful  chats  by  Barbara  Badger, 
director  of  Sego  home  service  de- 
partment .  .  .  and 
popular  music.  Daily 
except  Sunday,  10  to 
10:15  a. 
KDYL. 


4^A  Daughter  of  Martha- 


to  comb  her  hair.  Her  feet  padded 
softly  down  the  hall.  In  a  minute 
she  returned  with  heavy  tread. 
"Victoria  is  gone!"  she  cried,  for- 
getting that  she  might  alarm  the 
sick  Gloria.  "Where  is  Jonas? 
Where  is  everybody?  The  three 
children  are  asleep  in  her  bed.  She 
left  a  note!" 

Jonas  and  Aunt  Catherine  held 
a  council  in  the  parlor,  as  far  away 
as  possible  from  the  sick  room. 
The  note  was  all  too  self-explana- 
tory: 

I  have  gone  away  with  Rodney.  He 
does  not  want  to  own  a  farm.  I  do  not 
like  to  comb  your  hair.  He  sold  his 
farm  to  Mr.  Gascom.  We  will  be  mar- 
ried in  the  city. 

Victoria  Elizabeth  Peesley. 


Continued  from 
page  29 


farmer.  Victoria  would  never  be 
a  hair  dresser.  Lott  Gascom  had 
recorded  his  deed,  of  course.  It  was 
all  proper.  The  title  was  legally 
in  Rodney's  name.  You  could  lead 
a  horse  to  water,  but  you  couldn't 
make  him  drink.  The  treadmill 
of  life — inexorable — exacting. 


A 


Gi 


rREEK  faced  Greek 
over  the  big  piano,  the  cold  Frank- 
lin stove,  and  the  brittle,  ever-last- 
ing daisies.  Jonas  picked  up  the 
gourd  which  Peter  had  thrown  at 
his  Aunt,  and  replaced  it  with  the 
others. 

"He  couldn't  sell  his  farm— it's 
mine!"  Jonas  struck  the  piano  in 
his  anger,  unconscious  of  his  jum- 
bled pronouns. 

"She  can't  get  married — who 
would  comb  my  hair?"  wailed 
Aunt  Catherine.  "I  won't  let  her 
marry.  She  shall  stay  with  me, 
always." 

"She  was  over  eighteen,"  Jonas 
looked  at  his  sister  coldly.  What 
difference  did  it  matter  that  Cather- 
ine had  lost  a  daughter? 

"Rodney  was  over  twenty-one, 
too,"  countered  Catherine.  "I  re- 
member now,  they  were  talking 
together  all  yesterday  afternoon. 
He  showed  her  money — a  whole 
roll  of  it." 

"Rodney  has  sold  my  quarter 
section  to  Lott  Gascom."  Jonas 
mulled  the  sentence  over  and  over. 

'Your  daughter  has  stolen  the 
affections  of  my  son!"  he  glared 
at  Catherine. 

"And  your  son  has  stolen  the 
affections  of  my  daughter!"  retali- 
ated Catherine,  in  a  tone  fully 
as  angry.  Then  they  remembered 
the  sick  woman  upstairs  and  the 
two  little  premature  babies.  Gloria 
must  be  cared  for.  Time  moved 
on  irrevocably.  Youth  had  as- 
serted itself.  Rodney  and  Victoria 
had  taken  the  right  to  live  their 
own  lives.  They  were  married  by 
now.     Rodney  would  never  be  a 


UNT  CATHER- 
INE dressed  little  Nancy,  and  per- 
suaded Anna  to  help  Peter.  Then 
she  fed  all  the  family  the  bacon 
and  the  mush  and  the  milk  that 
was  their  daily  breakfast.  She  pre- 
pared a  little  breakfast  for  Gloria. 
Upon  her  own  dish  of  mush  she 
added  twb  spoonfuls  of  clotted 
cream. 

Jonas  felt  the  pressure  of  fi- 
nancial worries.  Yet  he  was  really 
worried  over  Gloria.  She  had  been 
too  sick  this  time.  He  bought 
her  a  gift — a  queer  box,  with  a 
funnel-like  horn  attached.  There 
were  round  cylinders  covered  with 
tinfoil  which  you  put  on  a  frame 
work.  Then  you  turned  a  handle, 
and  presto!  music  came  out  of  the 
horn.  Songs,  voices  just  like  a 
human  being  talking.  Darling 
Nellie  Gray;  Little  Annie  Rooney. 
They  called  it  a  phonograph.  The 
same  man  who  had  made  that 
carbon  light  had  invented  this  also. 
Gloria  decided  she  was  living  in 
a  wonderful  age.  She  had  time 
now  to  finish  the  Prince  and  the 
Pauper,  to  learn  all  about  little 
Edward  the  VI  and  Tom  Canty; 
to  understand  the  period  of  super- 
stition and  witchcraft  in  which 
people  then  lived.  She  also  had 
time  to  knit.  Socks  for  Peter, 
Anna  and  Nancy.  Even  Aunt 
Catherine  said  she  would  try  a 
pair  to  see  how  they  felt. 

With  Rodney  gone,  it  became 
necessary  for  Jonas  to  have  help 
around  the  place.  A  young  boy, 
Bruce  Knight,  an  orphan  nephew 
of  Jonas'  was  sent  for.  He  was 
an  unpleasant  lad,  and  seemed  to 
delight  in  doing  unpleasant  things, 
so  that  his  presence  added  little 
comfort  to  Gloria,  but  in  an  in- 
credibly short  time  he  seemed  to 
ingratiate  himself  into  the  heart 
of  Jonas,  who  treated  him  like  a 
son.  It  was  one  more  for  Gloria 
to  take  care  of,  but  he  helped 
Jonas,  so  she  did  not  complain. 
But   there   was   no  sympathy  be- 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


61 


tween  Bruce  and  Gloria  or  Gloria's 
children. 


Tt 


HE  following  winter 
when  the  snow  lay  heavy  in  the 
hills  and  the  February  thaw  had 
set  in,  Jonas  went  to  town  about 
his  store.  During  December  and 
January  when  the  snow  was  froz- 
en and  tightly  packed,  Bruce  had 
been  driving  up  Cripple  Creek 
Canyon  to  bring  down  parts  of 
the  abandoned  sawmill.  Jonas  had 
a  chance  to  sell  it  to  advantage. 
His  store  worried  him.  The  rauc- 
ous laughter  of  Lott  Gascom  galled 
him  to  distraction.  He  wondered 
how  he  would  face  the  next  spring, 
watching  Lott's  cows  grazing  on 
the  fields  where  he  had  planted 
wheat.  It  was  to  be  a  new  experi- 
ment— frost  proof,  winter  wheat, 
they  called  it.  You  sowed  it  in  the 
fall,  and  it  matured  early  the  next 
summer.  Bruce,  ever  anxious  to 
please  his  employer,  and  really 
stirred  to  some  consideration  by 
the  sight  of  Gloria's  white  face, 
voluntarily  offered  to  continue 
hauling  the  mill  parts,  during 
Jonas'  absence. 

"No,  Bruce,"  Jonas'  parting  in- 
structions were  emphatic.  "I  know 
weather  conditions  in  Cripple 
Creek  Canyon.  We  have  hauled 
all  we  dare.  The  thaw  is  on — 
slides  may  come  anytime.  You 
would  not  have  a  very  pleasant 
time  waiting  while  we  dug  you 
out."  He  spoke  lightly,  but  Bruce 
knew  orders  when  he  heard  them. 

J.HUS  the  days  drag- 
ged slowly  by,  without  interest 
for  Bruce,  a  high-spirited  boy  who 
was  gradually  making  himself  a 
part  of  the  Whitman  family.  To 
be  confined  with  an  old  lady  who 
wept  and  wrung  her  hands  over 
her  lost  daughter,  who  hinted  that 
she  would  even  let  a  boy  comb 
her  hair,  palled  on  him.  He  longed 
for  action.  He  wanted  to  be  doing 
something!  Suppose  he  did  get 
caught  in  a  slide.  Suppose  he  got 
caught  on  the  other  side  of  a  slide 
that  blocked  the  road,  and  food 
had  to  be  lowered  from  the  cliff 
beyond.  Supposing,  many  and 
weird  ideas  and  situations  fertil- 
ized in  his  brain  until  Lott  Gascom 
coming  down  added  the  last  temp- 
tation. 

"Bruce,  I  saw  a  bear  out  lookin' 
at  his  shadder.  'Twas  the  second 
of   February   too.      He  won't   go 


II 


ROYAL  Quick  DESSERTS 


a  boon  to  modern  housewives 

Royal  Quick  Setting  Gelatin  Desserts,  6  delicious 
flavors,  set  in  about  half  the  usual  time. 
Royal    Chocolate   Pudding   made   with   nutritious 
Arrowroot,  an  easily  digested  starch,  is  prepared 
in  6  minutes.  Has  a  luscious  home-made  flavor! 

AND  NOW  A  NEW  DESSERT 

Royal  Vanilla  Pudding.     Rich  in  health- 
value  and  taste.     Prepared  in  6  minutes! 


ROYAL  DESSERTS 


At  Your  Grocer 


The 
Grand 
Prize 


De  Luxe 
VACUUM      GLEANER 

WITH       "FULL-FLOATING"      BRUSH, 

BEAUTIFUL   RED    BAG,   AND   14   OTHER 

MAJOR   IMPROVEMENTS 

The  De  Luxe,  with  16  major  improvements,  is  presented  as  the 
finest,  most  beautiful,  and  efficient  electric  cleaner  ever  built — ■ 
at  a  price  lower  than  you  would  expect  for  such  quality. 

Easy  Terms — Small   Carrying  Charge 
UTAH  POWER  &  LIGHT  or  any  of  its  stores 

Eureka  Vacuum  Cleaner  Co. 


177  E.  Broadway 


Was.  4764 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


Thisf*  Chocolate  is 

alasiced  for  Health  an 

♦  Ghirardelli's  Ground  Chocolate  is  richer 
than  cocoa  . . .  but  not  as  rich  as"bar"choc- 
olate.  That's  why  teachers  and  mothers  of 
the  West  prefer  it  for  children  and  for  their 
own  tables.  It's  balanced  {or  nutrition  values 
. . .  and  for  the  full,  fine  flavor  that  nothing 
but  chocolate  can  supply. 

FREE Write  for 

"Sweet  Sixteen" 
Recipe  Packet  No.  2, 
D.  GhirardelliCo., 
914  North  Point  St., 
San  Francisco,  Calif. 


an 


avor! 


GHIRARDELLI'S 


m 


CHOCOLATE 

Say  "Gear-ar-detty" 


3*8 


62 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


We 
lxecommend 

Knight 


Spring 
Canyon 

Or 

ROYAL 


■  Royal  Coal-.  Jpj| 

Hotn  Chan  ■'"..,-" 


i 


NUT  COAL 

THE  MOST  ECONOMICAL 
FUEL  YOU  CAN  BUY 

Recommended  by  leading 
dealers  for  more  than  twenty 
years.      Ask   YOUR   dealer. 

Knight  Fuel 
Company 

Royal  Coal 
Company 

Leonard    E.    Adams,    General    Sales 
Agent 

General  Offices  8th  Floor  Newhouse 
Building 

Salt   Lake  City,   Utah,   U.   S.  A. 


back,  'cause  he  couldn't  see  his 
shadder.  Maybe  you  could  get 
heem,    with   that  fancy  gun." 

Anna,  who  had  grown  quite 
attached  to  Bruce,  stood  listening. 

Early  the  next  morning  Bruce 
set  off.  He  chose  a  strong  young 
team,  put  the  wagon  bed  on  the 
bobs,  and  went  to  the  pantry  for 
provisions.  He  gave  no  note  of 
explanation  to  anyone  and  was 
just  getting  away  when  Anna  sud- 
denly appeared.  She  was  fully 
dressed,  ready  to  join  him. 

"I  know- — I  know,"  she  half 
whispered,  half  giggled.  "I  go 
with  you.  You  can't  kill  poor 
bear.      Nice   bear!" 

Bruce  rushed  off  and  jumped  in- 
to the  sled  and  was  off.  As  he 
glanced  back  Anna  still  stood  look- 
ing  after  him. 

1X.S  the  day  wore  on 
Gloria  became  distinctly  worried 
over  Bruce's  non-appearance.  She 
knew  he  had  eaten — knew  he  had 
taken  provisions,  but  when  he 
failed  to  appear  for  dinner,  she  felt 
a  queer,  unnameable  foreboding. 
The  other  hired  men  only  knew 
that  a  team  and  the  bobs  were 
gone.  Anna  was  silent,  refusing 
to  talk.  The  short  afternoon  was 
drawing  to  a  close.  Drip-drip- 
drip,  fell  the  thawing  snow  from 
the  roof.  The  slush  ran  over  your 
rubbers  when  you  stepped  out 
doors.  In  the  silence  of  the  winter 
afternoon,  when  she  stood  in  the 
opened  door,  Gloria  distinctly 
heard  the  heavy,  reverberating 
thunder  of  a  snow  slide  in  Cripple 
Creek  Canyon.  She  wondered  if 
Lott  Gascom's  home  was  safe.  She 
had  always  wondered  how  he 
managed  to  escape,  year  in  and 
year  out,  from  the  many  slides  in 
the  canyon  beyond  him.  Still 
Bruce  did  not  come.  Where  had 
he  gone  with  those  two  fast  horses? 
Had  he  defied  Jonas  and  gone  to 
the  mill  site?  Perhaps  he  had 
gone  to  see  Lulu — he  had  been 
before.  If  only  Jonas  were  home! 
An  hour  later  Lulu  Gascom  rode 
wildly  into  the  Whitman  yard. 
She  had  no  bridle  or  saddle,  but 
clung  to  the  horse  by  the  mane, 
and  froth  flecked  his  mouth  and 
nostrils. 

"Oh-oh-oh!"  she  cried.  "My 
daddy — Bruce — they  are  caught. 
They  trailed  a  bear!" 

Gloria  took  command.  She 
summoned  the   two  hired  men — 


sent  one  for  volunteers  to  the  vil- 
lage, gathered  their  equipment. 
There  were  lanterns  to  be  filled; 
food  to  be  packed;  straw  and 
quilts  for  the  sleds.  Shovels  and 
picks;  extra  coats  for  the  men.  Hot 
drinks  to  be  packed  in  crocks  and 
jars.     A  telegram  to  Jonas. 


T 


HE  necessity  for 
work  kept  her  cool.  In  a  short 
interval  they  were  off,  five  sleds  of 
willing,  eager  men,  anxious  to 
help,  confidently  assuring  the  shiv- 
ering women  that  all  would  end 
well. 

Gloria  and  Aunt  Catherine  went 
back  into  the  house.  It  was  silent 
with  the  hush  of  death.  Peter 
and  Nancy  sat  subdued  and  round- 
eyed.  The  two  tiny  babies  slept 
peacefully,  unconscious  of  tragedy. 
Lulu  sat  in  a  corner,  her  thin 
shoulders  shaking  with  sobs.  But 
something  else  seemed  wrong. 
There  was  no  Anna. 

'Anna!"  called  Gloria,  know- 
ing even  as  she  spoke  the  futility 
of  calling.  Wherever  she  was,  she 
would  not  reply.  "Anna,"  she 
called  again.  "Anna,  come  to  sup- 
per! 

They  searched  all  the  premises. 
Under  the  beds,  out  in  the  stables, 
even  into  the  chicken  coop.  But 
no  little  girl  with  searching,  pene- 
trating eyes  sat  before  Aunt  Cath- 
erine that  night. 


A, 


lFTER  the  babies 
were  in  bed  the  two  women  and 
Lulu  watched  and  waited  all 
through  the  night.  From  her  cor- 
ner Lulu  finally  spoke  in  a  fright- 
ened whisper: 

"I  told  Anna  about  the  bear. 
She  said  it  was  wrong  to  shoot 
the  poor  bear.  She  said  she  would 
nurse  the  bear,  after  they  shot  it. 
She  said  she  tended  General  Grant 
that  way,  but  I  don't  know  what 
she  meant." 

Memory  of  the  months  in 
which  Bruce  had  been  with  them 
flashed  over  Gloria's  mind  as  she 
waited  news  of  his  fate.  The 
wood  he  had  cut;  the  water  he 
had  carried.  He  was  only  a  boy, 
and  had  not  had  the  best  judg- 
ment always,  nor  a  very  keen  sense 
of  responsibility,  but  he  had  lived 
in  their  home,  and  Gloria  was 
worried.  Poor  Jonas — if  anything 
happened  to  this  boy.  He  took 
things  so  hard.  Why  did  Anna 
.add   to   their   troubles  by   staying 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


63 


out    all   .night?      Drip-drip-drip. 
The  monotonous  repetition  of  the 
melting  snow  became  almost  mad- 
dening to  the  waiting  women. 

Toward  morning  another  rum- 
bling thunder  broke  the  silence. 

WlTH  the  dawn  the 
rescuers  returned.  They  were  all 
there.  Bruce  had  left  his  team  at 
Gascom's.  Together  Lott  and 
Bruce  had  gone  trailing  the  bear. 
The  tracks  led  into  an  old  mine 
shaft  and  out  again.  It  was  a 
queer  old  shaft,  not  down  into  the 
earth,  but  circling  a  mountain-side, 
with  another  opening  which  few 
people  knew  about.  Bruce  wanted 
to  find  that  bear,  and  to  use  his 
gun.  They  sighted  him  and  Bruce 
shot  at  him,  wounding  him.  Then 
they  heard  a  rumbling  noise  and 
knew  they  were  caught.  They  ran 
back  into  the  mine — " 

Bruce's  brave  front  gave  away 
at  this  point  and  one  of  the  hired 
men  took  up  the  story. 

"When  he  got  there,  we  was 
surprised  to  find  Anna  under  the 
quilts.  She  said  she  knowed  all 
about  that  canyon,  and  I  reckon 
she  did.  The  slide  was  so  big  there 
wasn't  no  use  digging  against  it. 
It  would  be  like  trying  to  dip  up 
the  ocean  with  a  bucket.  Anna, 
she  said  she  knowed  where  that 
other  end  to  the  mine  was.  She 
led  us  around  the  hill,  and  there 
sure  'nough  was  another  hole. 
There  was  her  old  doll  and  some 
little  dishes  and  a  rag  or  two,  that 
she's  toted  up  there  last  fall.  She 
took  us  in  and  we  hollered  and 
hollered,  and  finally  we  heard  an 
answer.  They  was  safe  and  sound 
and  we  got  'em  out — but — "  here 
his  voice  failed  also,  and  another 
man  took  up  the  tale. 

"Well,  Bruce  got  to  telling  how 
he'd  shot  that  bear,  and  he  bet 
he  was  over  a  certain  ridge  and 
maybe  they  could  get  him  when 
it  was  light.  You  know  we  was 
all  standing  round  with  the  lan- 
terns, and  it  was  awful  hard  to  see 
good.  Well  Anna  come  up  to 
Bruce  and  calls  out  to  him: 

"  'Did  you  shoot  that  poor 
bear?  That  purty  bear?  I'm  going 
to  find  him — I'm  going  to  take 
bran  mash  to  him,  like  I  did  to 
the  purty  cow!'  And  'fore  we 
knowed  it,  Mam,  she  rushed  off 
into  the  dark,  over  toward  that 
little  hill.  And  you  know  there 
was  another  slide.  I  guess  you 
heard  it.     We  can't  do  no  good 


now,  Mam,  'cept  to  go  back  and 
dig!" 

Drip-drip-drip.  The  water  fell 
from  the  eaves.  The  horses  pawed 
restlessly  in  the  slush.  A  fine  wet 
rain  clung  to  the  men's  hats  and 
coats,  while  Bruce,  unashamed,  let 
his  tears  mingle  with  the  moisture 
on  his  coat. 

iHE  Lord  giveth  and 
the  Lord  taketh  away — blessed  be 
the  name  of  the  Lord."  The  words 
of  the  Bishop  sounded  remote  and 
muffled  as  they  gathered  in  the 
little  church-school  house.  Aunt 
Catherine  remained  at  home,  peace- 


fully rocking  in  the  big  chair,  a 
baby  on  each  knee.  Jonas  looked 
white — half  beaten.  Rodney's 
look  of  near  success  was  chastened 
with  pity  for  his  father.  Bruce 
was  all  contrition. 

"Lord,  into  Thy  hands  do  we 
commend  her  spirit."  The  dedi- 
catory prayer  blended  with  the 
dripping  snow  from  the  pine  that 
sheltered  the  grave.  Peter's  feet 
were  wet.  Gloria  could  hear  the 
water  ooze  as  he  walked.  Princess 
Alice  had  kissed  a  dying  child.  To 
the  rich,  to  the  poor,  death  came 
alike.  Jonas  had  spoken  no  word 
of   censure    to    Bruce.      In   death, 


Why  Not 


Attend  the  Utah  State 
Agricultural  College 

Yet  Live  at  Home? 

The  Correspondence-Study  Department 
offers  courses  in 


Agricultural  Economics 
Agronomy 

Animal  and  Dairy- 
Husbandry 

Poultry  Production 
Art 

Bacteriology 
Accounting 

Business  Administration 
Stenography  and 
Typewriting 


Economics  and 
Sociology 

Education  and 
Psychology 
Entomology 
Geology 
History 
Horticulture 
Irrigation  and  Drainage 
Mathematics 

Physiology  and  Public 
Health 


Also  twenty-four  courses  in  High  School  subjects 
For  further  information  write  to  the 

Utah  State  Agricultural  College 

Correspondence — Study  Dept. 
Logan,  Utah 


64 


The  Improvement  Era  for  November,  1931 


as  in  life,  Anna  was  an  unsolved 
mystery  to  her  father. 

Victoria  prepared  the  supper. 
She  seemed  changed,  self-reliant 
and  happy.  Gloria  stuffed  Peter's 
shoes  with  paper,  and  put  them 
to  dry  slowly,  so  they  would  not 
shrink.  Already  they  were  none 
too  big  for  the  growing  boy.  Aunt 
Catherine  got  a  brush  and  comb 
and  seated  herself  in  the  old  rocker, 
but  Victoria  did  not  offer  to  comb 
her  hair.  Rodney  had  brought 
some  fresh  lettuce,  hard-centered 
and  sweet.  It  seemed  queer  to 
have  green  food  in  the  winter. 
He  had  gotten  it  from  a  train. 
There  were  cars  on  the  trains  now, 
where  meals  were  served  as  you 
traveled. 

1HE  next  day  Stephen 
Kirkman  arrived,  bearing  a  death 
letter  from  Africa.  Gloria's  father 
had  been  killed,  two  months  be- 
fore, in  a  cave-in  of  a  road  that 
had  been  undermined  by  the  dia- 
mond mines.  Gloria  went  into 
the  parlor  alone,  and  sat  gazing  at 


Index  to  Advertisers 

Company  Page 

Beneficial  Life  Ins.  Co (Back  Cover) 

Bennett  Glass  8  Paint  Co 55 

Blue  Blaze  Coal  Co 57 

Broadway  Felt  Co 5  3 

Clover  Leaf-Harris   Dairy 57 

Continental   Oil  Co 54 

Deseret  News  Press 5  6 

Eastman  Kodak  Stores,   Inc 54 

Eureka   Vacuum   Cleaner   Co 61 

First  Security  Corp.. _  (Inside  Back  Cover) 

Gammeter,  Emil    (Grayson  Ranch) 52 

Ghirardelli,  D.  Co 61 

Grant,    Heber   J.    S   Co 52 

Hudson  Bay  Fur  Co 60 

Knight  Fuel  Co 62 

L.  D.  S.  Business  College 53 

McCune  School  of  Music  and  Art 55 

National  Building  &  Loan   Assn 59 

Pembroke  ft  Company 58 

Quish  School  of  Beauty  Culture 56 

Royal   Setting  Gelatin 61 

Salt  Lake  Cabinet  &  Fixture  Co 52 

Salt  Lake  Stamp  Co 53 

Sego  Milk  Company 60 

Taylor,   Jos.   Wm.,   Inc 58 

Utah  Gas  &  Coke  Co 

(Inside  Front  Cover) 

Utah  High  School  of  Beauty  Culture-59 
U.     S.     A.     C.     Correspondence-Study 
Dept.    6  3 


the  twelve  gourds.  She  thought 
of  the  Kafir  rebellions,  of  the  sud- 
den floods,  of  the  predatory  ani- 
mals, of  the  hostile  Dutch  and  the 
chirping  monkeys.  Greed  sent  men 
to  early  graves.  Only  last  week 
Jonas  had  said,  "I  will  never  rest 
until  I  re-possess  that  quarter  sec- 
tion!" 

Her  father  had  sought  dia- 
monds. Jonas  sought  land — land 
and  more  land.  He  seemed  un- 
conscious of  the  family's  needs.  He 


had  only  one  vision — a  complete 
section  of  land,  strongly  fenced, 
well  cultivated,  well  watered, 
where  pedigreed  cattle  should  roam 
in  rank  pasture,  and  full-headed 
grain  ripen  in  the  mountain  sun. 
But  in  her  heart  Gloria  knew  that 
Jonas'  passion  for  acquiring  land 
was  not  mere  greed.  Something 
else  was  there,  too.  Someday  she 
would  talk  it  over  with  him  and 
understand. 

(To  be  continued) 


^Laying  the  Foundation  for  Good  Manners 


older  members  of  the  family  are  seated. 

He  must  sit  with  his  hands  in  his 
lap  when  not  eating.  Playing  with 
silver,  crumbing  bread  or  fingering  the 
china  should  never  be  allowed. 

He  should  sit  up  straight  in  his 
chair — the  child  who  is  so  tired  he 
must  lean  on  the  table  or  prop  himself 
with  his  arms  should  be  in  bed. 

A  beautiful  custom  connected  with 
family  meals  is  the  saying  of  grace. 
Isn't  it  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  who 
says,  "Nothing  quiets  a  man  like  say- 
ing a  prayer"?      The  quiet  pause,  the 


Continued  from 
page   3  6 

feeling  of  thankfulness,   puts  all  in  a 
mood  to  enjoy  and  digest  the  food. 

Children  are  oft  times  shy  and 
awkward  and  appear  to  be  ill-man- 
nered because  they  do  not  know  what 
is  expected  of  them.  They  love  cere- 
mony and  readily  follow  a  form  when 
it  is  explained,  and  if  time  and  atten- 
tion is  given  in  the  home  to  the  graces 
of  living  they  will  grow  up  without 
the  humiliations  and  embarrassments 
which  ignorance  of  correct  behavior  is 
bound  to  bring. 


^Glancing  Through 


want  anything  more?  Unless  it  be 
solitude  and  quiet,  which  he  values 
above  all  else,  but  does  not  possess.  He 
is  enmeshed  in  so  many  obligations 
that  he  cannot  shut  himself  up  in  peace 
for  long  at  a  time,  for  be  takes  his  po- 
sition in  the  world  seriously.  Eng- 
lishmen have  the  habit  of  public  serv- 
ice, and  as  a  result  forms  a  practically 
incorruptible  body  of  public  servants. 

It  is  a  strange  anomaly  that  the  av- 
erage Englishman  is  much  more  par- 
ticular about  his  public  life  than  his 
private  one.  He  may  be,  at  home, 
lazy,  dissipated,  selfish,  and  yet  at  the 
head  of  a  government  department  he 
will  be  indefatigably  industrious,  in- 
corruptibly  honest  and  capable  of  com- 
plete selflessness.  I  have  known  many, 
and  known  them  well,  and  have  found 
that  every  one  of  them  is  involved  in 
keeping  England  going,  and  giving  his 
service  freely.  He  is  concerned  with 
the  schools,  drains,  hospitals  and  luna- 
tics of  the  country.  The  older  ones 
think  that  England  would  go  to  the 
dogs  if  they  let  loose  of  these  and  other 
matters.  He  loves  his  England,  and  is 
perfectly  content  with  it,  and  all  he 
asks  is  to  be  left  in  peace  to  enjoy  it. 


Continued   from 
page  34 


But  he  is  not  left  in  peace.  His 
lands,  country  house  and  wealth  are 
surely  being  taken  from  him.  And 
what  will  become  of  him  when  he  is 
stripped  of  all  his  possessions?  He 
will  do  nothing  except  to  dig  himself 
deeper  into  the  little  bit  of  England 
you  leave  to  him,  and  be  content  with 
a  pipe  and  a  book,  and  a  shabby  arm 
chair  by  the  fire.  He'll  grumble,  of 
course,  and  fight  any  government  that 
attacks  his  wealth  or  privileges,  but 
he'll  give  way  inch  by  inch,  as  much 
from  a  sense  of  duty  as  anything  else. 
And  when  it  is  all  over,  and  every- 
thing is  taken  from  him,  he'll  take  a 
stick  and  a  dog  and  a  pair  of  glasses 
slung  over  his  shoulder,  and  start  out 
for  a  long,  solitary  ramble.  And  the 
worry  for  England  will  soon  leave 
him,  and  he  will  be  again  a  happy 
man — an  unconscious,  inarticulate 
poet.  And  he  will  stop  and  listen  in 
rapture  to  a  small  feathered  songster, 
but  there  will  be  no  rapture  on  his 
face.  There  will  be  nothing  about  him 
to  indicate  to  the  passer-by  the  kind  of 
man  he  once  was,  still  is,  and  ever 
will  be. 


Save  for  aSanny  Day  the  First  Security  Way 


Passports  to  Independence 

"p IRST  SECURITY  Savings  Accounts  have  proved  to  be  pass- 
ports to  independence  for  hundreds  of  persons — enabling 
some  to  get  out  of  debt — leading  the  way  to  home  ownership 
for  others — helping  many  to  acquire  interest-bearing  bonds  or 
to  launch  businesses  of  their  own. 

Consult  the  Savings  Officer  of  any  of  the  following. 

He  can  aid  you. 


Security  National  Bank  and  First  Security  Trust 
Company,  Salt  Lake;  First  National  and  First  Sav- 
ings Banks,  Ogden ;  Thatcher  Bros.  Banking  Co., 
Logan;  Knight  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  Provo; 
Anderson  Bros.  Bank,  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho;  and  First 
Security  Banks  at  Boise,  Pocatello,   Nampa,  Emmett, 


Payette,  Mountain  Home,  Gooding,  Jerome,  Rupert, 
Shoshone,  Hailey,  Blackfoot,  Ashton,  Montpelier  and 
Preston,  Idaho ;  Rock  Springs  and  South  Superior, 
Wyoming;  Richmond,  Magna,  Garfield  and  Bingham, 
Utah. 


ifftpwti 


Largest  Inter  mountain  Banking  Organization 


MIGHTY    TO  UGH 

SO    MANY   LOVING    FATHERS   WAIT  TOO   LONG   TO    PURCHASE    THAT    PROTECTION    SO    NECESSARY— THE    CONSE- 
QUENCE  IS,   THEIR    LOVED  ONES   ARE   OFTEN    COMPELLED   TO  SUFFER   FOR  THE  GRAVE   MISTAKE. 

LIFE  INSURANCE  IS  THE  ONE  SAFE  METHOD  TO  GUARD  AGAINST  THE  POSSIBILITY  OF  WANT  AND   PRIVATION   FOR 
YOURSELF  AND   FAMILY. 

A   SAVINGS    FUND    IF  YOU    LIVE  TO    PROVIDE    FOR   THEM. 

AN   ESTATE  THAT  WILL  CARRY  ON   IN  YOUR  PLACE  SHOULD  YOU   BE  CALLED  BEYOND. 

MORE    HARDSHIPS    HAVE    BEEN    PREVENTED   AND    MORE  COMFORTS   PROVIDED    BY    LIFE   INSURANCE   THAN   BY  ANY 
OTHER   FORM   OF   FINANCIAL   PROVISION. 

SEE  A  REPRESENTATIVE  OF 


9/,t  BIG  HOME  COMPANY 


KNOW  THE  MANY  SPECIAL  FEATURES  OFFERED  BY 

§fe  BENEFICIAL  LIFE  INSURANCE  CO 

HEBER  J.  GRANT,   Prudent  SALT  LAKE  CITY,   UTAH  E.  T.   RALPHS,  General  Mgr. 

X.   9     jT  •  NO  WISE  MAN   DARES  BE  WITHOUT  LIFE  INSURANCE  PROTECTION 

' ' " ' ' : :         .#*"    '■  ''•'.'  ■  -'